KHV Outbreak

[watergardenswest]

I am an owner of a pond supply store, and we sell koi. We buy our koi from only one supplier, one of the most well know in the nation. We got wiped out on July 18th from fish we received in june. We thought by buying koi from only one supplier, and because of their past experience with a virus, and their commitment to heathly fish we would be fairly safe.

Well we had the terrible KHV outbreak. Although we lost all our fish, not only our stock (about 400) but all our nice show pond fish, some over 30 inches.

The hardest part of this ordeal is the loss our customers sustained. Although we advise our customers to quaranteen their fish, most don't (they are trusting that we have healthy fish) We have refunded all that we sold that we know about. The issue is, if this happened from this very popular Koi Farm how (as a business) can we ever feel safe about selling koi again??

I am sharing this experience hoping that if it can help someone understand how important the quaranteen process is, maybe they wont have to endure a total loss.

If anyone would like to email me about a KHV outbreak within the last month, from a very well known supplier, I'm wondering how large this has been, I know their supply chain is nation wide. email watergardenswest@hotmail.com

Our fish were tested and confirmed from a well known lab in AK.

[xiaohuang7]

Rick, was this a domestic US-breeder, or an importer (from what country)?

John

[mitten]

I read in your message that you have confirmed KHV by lab test. There are folks here who will easily ascribe verity to this report if the lab is published.

I sense in your message that you will be willing to post this supplying farm's name. Perhaps one more fact needs to be verified.

Can you 100% say that while in your care NO fish were added to this breeder's supplied fish? NO fish were returned by a customer? NO fish were traded in? NO fish were exchanged for something not quite so expensive or quite so ugly after they had already gone home, swam and been exposed to other fish? By you, by your employees, by well meaning people who didn't think it would hurt anything?

Has your supplier acknowledged this problem? Lawsuits and vendettas would require email from the masses like you have requested. Why not just use the board for this discussion?

Others here will have more questions about temperature and such.

Sorry for your losses. When the coast is clear, please publish applicable, verified facts for our hobby's benefit. Cautiously, thoroughly, promptly verify these facts which will answer the concerns you have raised.

If you have time, go into your profile to add a bit of info for us. This would be a positive step. Not your SS# and mother's maiden name, of course, just a bit of who and where you are.

Mickey the windowman

[dick benbow]

Thank-you for posting. I have tried to get the point across that a QT Tank and what to do with it, is a must these days and i think your effort will quicly bring to the forefront that no one is exempt.

Another concern of mine is visitors, especially pond tours. How innocent is that. But the ugly reality is that this virus can travel from place to place. I'm not seeeing steps being taken to have bio security from pond to pond. People with hands on filter mat as they get show and tell on filtration etc. water lillies etc. It's scarey stuff. IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS!

I'm truely sorry for your involvement. I also feel bad for Yume koi who is busy following thru with blood tests on koi (expensive) and the entire situation is devastating FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THE HOBBY IN GENERAL.

The point is that domestic or imported can somewhere along the line be exposed. I honestly think that because of the heat wave across the US and UK KHV that was there already was kicked in because the higher temps set it off. We're looking now for the link and it may have come in prior and lay dormant till climbing water temps kicked it off.

tHANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR COURAGE TO POST. Normally I would have a welcome ready but it's probably somehow not appropriate in this case. My
only hope is thru your courage to post many will finally be convinced to build a QT tank and learn how to use it. BLAME ASSESMENT is not appropriate. many innocent hands could have helped this situation along unknowingly. The buck actually stops on each individual pond owner's attention to the introduction of any new koi to their pond and ultimately they have to accept responcibility.....

[B.Scott]

Indeed Dick, we have reached a crossroads where any and every Koi bought is suspect as potential source of annihilation for all the fish we own and raise. The choice of whether of no to QT a fish is no longer a choice... it is a necessity. Not putting a new fish through a quarantine period containing multiple temperature stressing is a recipe for disaster.

I must stress that if you can't put your fish through a regime of at least two or more cycles from 15°C to 25°C in increments of 3°C raise up to 25°C and then (most important!) a fall of 3°C per day back to 15°C then you are playing a game of Russian Roulette with your pond. Even with this protocol there is no guarantee that the fish are KHV free unless you have an ELISA blood test done.

The amount of KHV symptoms being seen this past summer is at a record number. Add to that the massive kills of many common carp in lakes and streams and there can be little question Chicken Little yelling that the sky is falling.

B.Scott

[Sangreaal]

Appears to be a domestic supplier....

http://www.bentonrea.org/main/rurali...ature-2005.pdf

[watergardenswest]

Quote: Originally Posted by xiaohuang7 Rick, was this a domestic US-breeder, or an importer (from what country)? John

This is a domestic breeder that imported these infected fish from vietnam.

[MikeM]

There have been a number of suggestions of KHV coming in with Vietnamese fish.

[watergardenswest]

Quote: Originally Posted by mitten I read in your message that you have confirmed KHV by lab test. There are folks here who will easily ascribe verity to this report if the lab is published. I sense in your message that you will be willing to post this supplying farm's name. Perhaps one more fact needs to be verified. Can you 100% say that while in your care NO fish were added to this breeder's supplied fish? NO fish were returned by a customer? NO fish were traded in? NO fish were exchanged for something not quite so expensive or quite so ugly after they had already gone home, swam and been exposed to other fish? By you, by your employees, by well meaning people who didn't think it would hurt anything? Has your supplier acknowledged this problem? Lawsuits and vendettas would require email from the masses like you have requested. Why not just use the board for this discussion? Others here will have more questions about temperature and such. Sorry for your losses. When the coast is clear, please publish applicable, verified facts for our hobby's benefit. Cautiously, thoroughly, promptly verify these facts which will answer the concerns you have raised. If you have time, go into your profile to add a bit of info for us. This would be a positive step. Not your SS# and mother's maiden name, of course, just a bit of who and where you are. Mickey the windowman

Thanks Mickey: I'm still waiting for legal reasons not to post the name. This has been confirmed by the Koi Farm, they know which fish the outbreak is from. It was real easy to see they were the only one's that diden't die.

We know for a fact, that these fish were not comprimised here at our store. We are very strict about the way we handle our koi and we are a family business, No other koi ever comes back to our system. That is why we only purchased koi from one source. Atleast we know exactly where it came from.

I will share the whole outbreak and temps here, hopefully it can help.

Rick