Proliferative Gill Disease
Andy Goodwin

In a project funded by the CPB, the UAPB disease laboratories in Lake Village and Pine Bluff are collaborating to discover new and better ways to eliminate populations of dero worms, the intermediate hosts of the catfish disease PGD (“hamburger gill”).  The UAPB lab is culturing the worms and working on chemical treatments.   The Lake Village lab is doing field trials in microcosms. 

IcHV-2
Andy Goodwin

We have developed a quantitative PCR assay of Ictalurid Herpesvirus 2 (IcHV-2).  This virus has never been reported in North America , but there has not previously been a test that would detect this pathogen if it were present.   We have developed and validated a new assay and are using it to screen samples of fish from throughout the catfish industry. 

Aquareoviruses
Andy Goodwin

The cyprinid aquareoviruses are of concern to some farmers and state regulators.  We have developed new qPCR assays to detect these viruses in fish and have used them to demonstrate that the aquareoviruses are not important pathogens in baitfish and that they are already widely distributed in farmed and wild fish from throughout the US . 

Goldfish Herpesvirus
Andy Goodwin

Work done in the UAPB Fish Disease Laboratory has shown that the goldfish herpesvirus (CyHV-2) is a widespread and important pathogen in goldfish.  A quantitative assay developed in our laboratory is now used worldwide.  In our recent lab and field studies, we have demonstrated that the virus is present in most stocks of goldfish, and that disease occurs when viral replication is triggered by temperature drops associated with harvest and shipping.  Farms are now changing handling techniques to mitigate the effects of this disease. 

Edwardsiella tarda
Andy Goodwin

This bacterium was once an important pathogen of channel catfish, but the disease has become very rare in the last decade.  We have recently discovered an important disease caused by this bacterium infecting largemouth bass fingerlings and have developed a highly effective treatment. 

Shiner Ovary Parasite
Andy Goodwin 

The parasite Ovipleistophora ovariae infects the ovaries of cultured golden shiners and greatly decreases their fecundity.  We have developed a molecular assay for the immature stages of this parasite and demonstrated that it is vertically transmitted inside fish eggs.   This is the first demonstration of this mode of transmission in this parasite group and this discovery has important implications for efforts to eradicate the parasite.