Fish Disease and Health Management

Like humans and other animals, fish suffer from diseases and parasites. Fish defenses against disease are specific and non-specific. Non-specific defenses include skin and scales, as well as the mucus layer secreted by the epidermis that traps microorganisms and inhibits their growth. If pathogens breach these defenses, fish can develop inflammatory responses that increase the flow of blood to infected areas and deliver white blood cells that attempt to destroy the pathogens. Specific defenses are specialized responses to particular pathogens recognized by the fish's body, that is adaptative immune responses. In recent years, vaccines have become widely used in aquaculture and ornamental fish, for example vaccines for furunculosis in farmed salmon and koi herpes virus in koi. Fish health management is a term used in aquaculture to describe management practices which are designed to prevent fish disease.