[KoiCop]

I've taken the liberty of providing here some extracts from a series of posts James Reilly made in a classic thread right here on Koi-Bito. By reading the entire thead, you can put these statements of his back into context.

Hikkui

JR 1 May 2007
http://www.koi-bito.com/forum/general-koi-forum/6168-koi-skin-problems.html

* The problem is no one really knows what hikkui is. And in all likelihood we are calling the 'symptom’ we see hikkui when it is probably a look that is given by several different causes.

* Finally we have hikkui. Once thought to be 'hi eating worm', it is now considered a virus, a rickettsia or skin cancer. And in fact different cases may be any one of these suspects.

* It is a disease but it can be triggered by environmental causes.

* The immune system is definitely involved as well and returning a koi to 'mud' will often suppress the disease but only for a while.

* I have removed hikkui and warts with cryosurgery with good success but the fish is disfigured to some degree as a result of the treatment. And some have has early success (must be early before the disease has destroyed dermis and epidermis) with billion liquid. The hair dryer is used with the liquid after the fish has been removed from the bowl and the area is cleaned and billion liquid applied. This dries out the liquid compound and adheres it to the cells. Another treatment is to place the fish in warm water (85 F) and manipulate KH. This is reported to be successful in 90% of early cases. This suggests a virus. But again, I believe that people are diagnosing a complex of diseases as hikkui so some things work for some, based on what it is- skin tumor, virus, rickettsia, skin infection, genetic weakness etc, and not for others.

* No, it's not that kind of disease. And contagion possibility has never been proven as part of this complex of symptoms. It may be viral or from even a tinier beast known as rickettsia. But it is the attraction to red cells (color cells that stores food) that is most interesting.

* So check your nitrate as that is just one parameter than aggravates the condition.

* In addition, some Japanese swear that hikkui is linked to certain lines and strains. And there is no doubt that sanke and kohaku get it far more often than any other breed.

* I have also noticed that koi that are moved from Japan’s relatively neutral pH and low mineral content (soft water) and placed in very hard water will often come down with hikkui at a younger age than the normal age group that this problem inflicts. Meanwhile in Japan, one technique for early cure is to place a koi in warm water and bring the KH way, way down.

* Hikkui, oddly enough, is not a health problem in terms of affecting the fish's appetite, life span, breeding interest or general immune response to other diseases. It is just disfiguring. Unfortunately.