Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (Koi herpesvirus, CyHV3, KHV)

Life > viruses > Alloherpesviridae > Genus: Cyprinivirus

A virus that causes a highly contagious disease of Cyprinus carpio (Common carp and Koi), often involving mass mortality of fish. An outbreak was recorded from South Africa from 2001 - 2003 (Haenen et al. 2004). A clinical sign of the disease is lesions of the gills, where the normally dark red gills develop white blotches (Hartman et al. 2008). DNA of KHV has been found in Carassius auratus (Common goldfish) but this fish species appears to be able to resist the symptoms of the disease. Fish that do recover from KHV disease still harbour the virus for life and can become carriers, infecting susceptable fish. There is no treatment for KHV. If you are breeding Koil, you should purchase new stock from reliable fish breeders and furthermore put them in quarantine for about 30 days. See Hartman et al. (2008) for more details.

Publications

• Haenen OLM, Way K, Bergmann SM, Areil E. 2004. The emergence of koi herpesvirus and its significance to European aquaculture. Bull. Eur. Assoc. Fish Pathol. 24:293-307. pdf
• Hartman KH, Yanong RPE, Pouder DB, Petty BD, Francis-Floyd R, Riggs AC. 2008. Koi Herpesvirus (KHV) Disease. University of Florida IFAS Extension Publication VM-149.  html or pdf

Text by Hamish G. Robertson