FUNGUS CHARACTERISTICS SIGNS OF DISEASE DIAGNOSTIC METHOD CONTROL AND

PREVENTION
TREATMENT
Saprolegnia Gross signs are grayish white,
cotton-like growths on the
skin, gills, eyes, or fins that
may invade deeper tissues of
the body.
- Microscopically,
saprolegniasis can be
recognized by making
direct smears from the
infected tissues and
observing the
nonseptate hyphal
elements and mycelia.
- The sexual stages of
the fungus can be seen
only in cultures of the
organism and are
required for specific
identification.
- Sabarouds dextrose
agar is acceptable for
primary isolation of
oomycetes, including
the genera Saprolegnia
.
Preventive
measures include
removal of
predisposing
causes, eg,
inadequate
sanitation,
excessive
chemical
treatment, or the
presence of dead,
infected fish and
decaying organic
material.
If the environment
is clean and skin
pathogens have been
eliminated, a single
treatment with
potassium
permanganate is
often adequate to
control external
saprolegniasis.
Ichthyophonus
hoferi causes
an internal
fungal
infection.
-It is occasionally
seen in wild fish as
well as in aged
cultured and
aquarium fish. The
disease is generally
chronic and
progressive.
-It usually is detected on
necropsy when the
characteristic spherical cyst
stages are seen microscopically
in the smears of granulomatous
lesions of the heart, liver,
spleen, kidney, skin, and
muscle.
-Lordosis and scoliosis are
occasionally seen in infected
- Culture of suspect
lesions is
recommended, and
Sabarouds dextrose
agar is acceptable for
primary isolation.
Preventive
measures include
removing infected
fish and avoiding
feeding raw fish
products.

rainbow trout.
Disease:

Branchiomyc
osis

Agent
Branchiomyces
sanguinis and
B demigrans
-is a fungal disease
of gill tissue
characterized by
respiratory distress
and gill necrosis.
-The causative
agents are , which
are opportunistic
pathogens found in
decaying organic
materials in the
aquatic environment.
-Branchiomycosis
typically occurs in
warm ponds (water
temperature >20C)
with high organic
loads.
-It seems endemic in
eastern Europe,
where it is an
important problem in
food fish industries;
it is also
occasionally
reported in the USA.
-Affected fish show signs
typical of hypoxia.
-Gross examination of gills
reveals necrotic, mottled, and
pale tissue.
- A presumptive
diagnosis can be made
by observation of
characteristic aseptate,
branched hyphae in gill
lamellae
-Branchiomycosis
is prevented by
avoiding
predisposing
conditions.
- Ponds that are at
risk should be
kept as clean as
possible, and
stocking rates
decreased when
water
temperatures
approach 20C.