BIOSECURITY IN AQUACULTURE

Make fishes less susceptible to disease

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Biosecurity in aquaculture consists of practices that minimize the risk
of introducing an infectious disease and spreading it to the animals at
a facility and the risk that diseased animals or infectious agents will
leave a facility and spread to other sites and to other susceptible
species. These practices also reduce stress to the animals, thus making
them less susceptible to disease.

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SPRING VIREMIA OF CARP, KOI VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC SEPTICEMIA
HERPESVIRUS TYPE IVB
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MAJOR GOALS OF BIOSECURITY
• animal management—obtaining healthy stocks
and optimizing their health and immunity
through good husbandry
• pathogen management—preventing, reducing
or eliminating pathogens
• people management—educating and managing
staff and visitors

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ANIMAL AND
POPULATION
ANIMAL AND •
MANAGEMENT Work with a fish health professional to
determine species-specific health parameters
and diseases of concern.
• Learn as much as you can about their health.
• Some suppliers offer animals that have
tested free of specific pathogens and these
animals are preferable.
• Good husbandry is also important to
biosecurity.
• Good preventive medical practices include
quarantine, routine observation, vaccination,
and the use of immunostimulants, probiotics,
and diagnostics for disease management.

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 QUARANTINE
• The principles of quarantine apply for new fish
coming into a facility, fish moving from one
area or system to another within the facility,
and resident fish that become diseased.
• Well-designed quarantine systems physically
separate incoming fish from the rest of the
farm.
• Water in quarantine systems also should be
separate from that on the main farm, and
discharges should be handled appropriately.
• gives the new animals time to acclimate to
water, feeds and management and to recover
from handling and transport.

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FISH QUARANTINE SYSTEM

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 all-in-all out stocking

isolation or separation
QUARANTINE
observation and diet
adjustment

sampling and treatment

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ALL-IN-ALL-OUT STOCKING
• This involves bringing animals in as a group from only one
original source population and maintaining them as a group
throughout the quarantine period.

• It prevents exposure to other pathogens not currently in that

population.

• Ideally, no new animals should be added to a group currently in

quarantine.

• All-in-all-out quarantine may involve an entire facility, room or

system.

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ISOLATION OR SEPARATION
• A group of animals in quarantine should be physically
isolated from other quarantined populations and from
the resident populations.

• Methods of isolation should be built into the facility

and system design.

• If logistics prevent complete isolation, populations

should at least be separated by tank or vat.

• Regardless of the level of isolation, appropriate

sanitation and disinfection measures must be used to
reduce cross-contamination between quarantined and
established populations and between separate
populations in quarantine.

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OBSERVATION AND DIET ADJUSTMENT
• Loss of appetite, for example, is a very common, early
sign of disease.

• Good nutrition will increase disease resistance and

careful adjustment from the diet of origin to the on-farm
diet will reduce problems from sudden changes.

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SAMPLING AND TREATMENT
• Complete necropsy evaluation of a number of specimens is
best, limited sampling of more valuable specimens can be
done without sacrificing the animals by examining small
sections of skin, fin and gills for parasites and doing a blood
culture for systemic bacterial infections.

• Consult with a fish health professional to assist with this.

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PATHOGEN
MANAGEMENT
• Pathogens vary in their regulatory significance,
survivability in reservoirs, pathogenicity (how
easily they can infect and cause disease),
diagnostics, and control.
• Although some pathogens cause disease more
readily than others, environmental and host factors
—especially the species and its immune status—will
ultimately determine whether fish become sick..

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• REGULATORY SIGNIFICANCE: Some diseases and pathogens are considered important internationally and listed
by the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) because of their economic or environmental importance. The proper
authorities (local, state and federal) must be notified if a reportable disease is suspected or diagnosed on your facility.

• RESERVOIRS: Pathogens can survive and thrive in “reservoirs” within a facility. Non-living reservoirs include water,
system components, equipment, floors and walls, and feed. Living reservoirs include the aquacultured animals
themselves, other animals (such as frogs and birds), plants, and live (or frozen) food. Understanding the biology of
pathogens is important, including the factors that permit them to survive in reservoirs and how easily they can be killed
by common disinfectants.

• PATHOGENECITY: Pathogens differ in their ability to infect and cause disease. Some, like many Aeromonas and
Vibrio bacteria common in aquaculture, are more opportunistic and cause disease only when environmental conditions
are poor or when fish are stressed. Other pathogens, such as Edwardsiella ictaluri of catfish and koi herpesvirus, can
cause disease quite readily in susceptible fish species.

• DIAGNOSTICS: Many pathogens can be diagnosed using routine tests. However, some are more difficult to identify in
either disease cases or healthy-looking fish that are carriers because the pathogens are either “hidden” or are present in
very small numbers.

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SANITATION AND DISINFECTION

CLEANING DISINFECTION SANITATION

Disinfection is the second step;
Cleaning is the first step; it it eliminates many or all Sanitation is one of the
involves removing all foreign pathogenic microorganisms. cornerstones of fish health
material (soil, organic Disinfection is effective only if management in modern
material, biofilm) from organisms on all surfaces are aquaculture. Ponds may be
objects by scrubbing them exposed to an appropriate sanitized between groups of
thoroughly. disinfectant at the fish by draining, drying, and
recommended concentration in some instances by use of
for the recommended length of chemical sterilant such as
time. hydrated lime.
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PHYSICAL DISINFECTANT

• Physical methods of disinfecting equipment include heat, sunlight

and drying (dessication).
• Exposure to temperatures of 80 to 100 °C for 10 minutes kills all
active microorganisms, but some life stages such as spores may
require much longer time periods.
• Sunlight can be effective, but exposure time will vary depending
upon intensity, temperature and other factors, and little research has
been done on effective exposure times.
• Drying equipment can also help reduce pathogen numbers, although
spores, cysts or eggs may survive treatment.
• In areas with high humidity (such as closed aquaculture buildings or
outdoors during rainy or wet seasons), complete drying may not be
possible.

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CHEMICAL DISINFECTANT
• CHLORINE DISINFECTANT: Inorganic chlorine compounds include
sodium hypochlorite(liquid) and calcium hypochlorite(powder)
• ALCOHOL: (isopropyl alcohol or ethanol at concentrations of 60 to
90%) kill many common pathogens of fish (bacteria, fungi, parasites,
viruses.
• IODOPHORS: (iodine stabilized within a solubilizing carrier complex,
such as povidone-iodine products). Iodophors are effective for
pathogen-specific egg disinfection.
• HYDROGEN PEROXIDE: is a strong oxidizing agent that can be
effective as a surface disinfectant at 3% concentration.
• PHENOL DERIVATIVES: These compounds are effective against
bacteria, viruses and fungi, but not against spores.
• FORMALDEHYDE: products are better known to aquaculturists as
formalin. Formalin is no longer recommended because of its irritating
vapors and potential carcinogenicity at these
higher concentrations. Other products are recommended in place of
formalin.

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PEOPLE MANAGEMENTS
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• Biosecurity will be successful only if managers, staff and
visitors understand and follow the necessary practices.
• Employees and visitors who do not follow established
protocols will increase the risk of disease.
• If the workforce is large enough, personnel should be
assigned specific work areas
• fish are considered the most susceptible, and so the order of
handling should go from youngest to oldest fish.
• Footbath placed at the entrance to a room.
• The biosecurity program, employee compliance, diseases,
and productivity should be reviewed periodically.

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DISINFECTION STATIONS FOR PEOPLE AND
EQUIPMENT
To help prevent the introduction of diseases, use disinfectant footbaths, hand-washing stations or alcohol spray bottles, net disinfection stations,
showers, and vehicle disinfection stations. These should be placed in strategic locations.
FOOTBATHS HAND WASHING
• Commercial footbaths are available, but any shallow • Hand washing alone with soap and water will remove a
container or absorbent padded material can be used. significant number of pathogens.

• Virkon® Aquatic, chlorhexidine, or chlorine • Using an antiseptic will further reduce risks. One option
compounds (sodium or calcium hypochlorite) are is a product with 60 to 90% alcohol, either straight
commonly used, but chlorine is harsh on many rubbing alcohol (isopropyl), which can be applied with a
materials. Virkon® Aquatic diluted according to spray bottle, or a gel product. Alcohol can dry the skin.
instructions is considerably safer than chlorine Antibacterial soaps may also provide some level of
products. protection, but be aware of any additives such as
perfumes that might be toxic in the water.

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NET DISINFECTION STATIONS (NET DIPS). SHOWERS

• Nets should be disinfected after use to prevent the spread • Many aquaculture facilities have showers, usually for
of pathogens from one group of fish to another. Net dips clean up after field work. However, workers can reduce
should be sized and filled to allow complete submersion of the risk of spreading diseases if they shower and change
the net and, if possible, the portion of the handle that may clothing and boots when moving between areas with
be submerged during use. different biosecurity levels in a facility—especially from
areas with quarantined fish, diseased populations, or
• Stations should be strategically located to simplify use. older life stages to areas with more sensitive or younger
life stages. 

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VEHICLE DISINFECTION CENTER

• Vehicles that travel from one facility to another

may transport pathogens on their wheels. Having
drive-through areas filled with disinfectant at
entrances and exits can help reduce this risk.
• If a facility is known or suspected to have an
outbreak of an important disease, scrubbing
stations, where vehicles can be scrubbed more
thoroughly with brushes and disinfectant, may be
necessary.

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WATER

Good water quality is critical to the health of the fish and to the control of pathogens. System water quality and water
chemistry parameters should be compatible with the species in culture and should be monitored closely for any
deviations from the ideal.

Water sources have different degrees of risk. Deep wells and municipal water sources are much less likely to harbor
significant levels of disease organisms than surface water and shallow wells. Water used in an aquaculture facility
should be tested to make sure it is safe. If even a small amount of unsafe water is used (e.g., surface water used to
prime a well pump), the entire water supply should be considered unsafe. Similarly, water used to ship fish should
not be poured into the system. Water from an unsafe source or system water can be sterilized with ultraviolet (UV)
light, ozone, or chlorine.
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Quote and Image Slide

“ If you give a person a fish, they will fish for a day. But if you train a person to fish, they’ll fish for a
lifetime.
~ Dan Quayle

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 THANKYOU

THANK YOU Insert Image

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REFERENCE:
https://thefishsite.com/articles/biosecurity-in-aquaculture-part-1-an-overview

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