Fish disease services

Area of Expertise:
Services:

The AFBI Fish Disease Unit is based at AFBI Stormont, and provides diagnosis of aquatic diseases and conducts research examining the responsible pathogens.

Our Services

Testing juvenile salmon at Stormont labs
Fish disease services cover farmed and wild populations of freshwater and marine fish, shellfish as well as ornamental and tropical species.

Pathogens are diagnosed using a variety of ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 accredited techniques such as classical virology, serology, molecular diagnostics, bacteriology, parasitology, phylogenetic analysis, sequence and genome analysis, biochemistry and histopathogy.

Diagnostic testing services

These services are available to private aquaculture companies, members of the public and private veterinary practices.

Identification of:

  • Salmonid alphavirus (SAV: cause of pancreas disease and sleeping disease)
  • Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV)
  • Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus (VHSV)
  • Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHNV)
  • Marteilia refringens, Bonamia ostreae and exitiosa in oysters
  • Gyrodactylus salaris
  • Renibacterium salmoninarum (cause of bacterial kidney disease)
  • Spring Viraemia of Carp Virus (SVCV)
  • Infectious Salmon Anaemia Virus (ISAV)
  • Atlantic Salmon Paramyxovirus (ASPV) 
  • Piscichlamydia salmonis
  • Tenacibaculum maritimum
  • Paranucleospora (theridion)
  • Neoparamoeba spp
  • Microsporidian spp
  • Koi Herpes Virus (KHV)
  • Epizootic Haematopoietic Necrosis Virus (EHNV)
  • Ostreid herpes virus 1 (screening and confirmation of μ variant) 

Submitting samples

All diagnostic samples should be accompanied by a submission form.

Samples must be packaged according to appropriate legislation.

For details read Packaging and transport of samples

See also:

Fish disease unit - statutory testing
Fish disease unit - specialist facilities
Fish disease unit research