Koi Pox? Lost 4 so far…

[MikeM]

KHV can be carried for long periods, even years. Then something occurs to trigger it becoming active. Autumn and Spring seem to be the times of the year when outbreaks most occur in 4-season temperate zones. Apparently related to water temperatures being optimal for the virus.

[FrancisC]

Thank you. We are checking with the local University. I was afraid of that but we haven’t introduced any new koi since April.

[MikeM]

The photo of the head shows a deeply notched 'nose' area and sunken eyes. These are signs often associated with KHV. I've been told it is possible for these symptoms to show up with other viral infections, but is quite uncommon. Since you have had 4 die, presumably in quick succession, that makes it sound like a KHV outbreak. If it is KHV, there is nothing you can do. Before jumping to the conclusion that it is KHV, see if you can have tests performed by a university or agriculture department in your area. Read up on KHV. Euthanizing all fish and sterilizing the pond is the course of action. You will want tests performed before taking those steps. Meanwhile, nothing should leave the pond and no new fish.

[FrancisC]

Hi. Wondering what could be going on with our Koi. It looks like Koi pox but I’ve read that it typically isn’t fatal and we’ve lost 4 so far. Any thoughts? What information would be useful for troubleshooting? We have an aerator going and the pond is only partially frozen over. We’ve never had any issues so we’re woefully unprepared. Thank you.