Abstract:
Principles of biosecurity and disease surveillance long applied in the salmonid
industries to produce certified disease-free stock can equally be applied to the
production of koi herpesvirus-free koi, despite limitations in diagnostic ability to
detect asymptomatic carrier fish. To ensure freedom from koi herpesvirus, there is a
strong case for eradication of known infected broodstock. Maintaining a closed
population of fish on a protected water source, adherence to strict biosecurity
measures, and strategic sampling at a statistically relevant confidence level over a 2-
year period can provide the guarantees needed for sale of certified disease-free fish.
Propagation of such fish offers new entrepreneurial opportunities and has resulted in
at least one breeder in South Africa achieving export certification for markets in the
European Union.
