General sings & symptom of disease fish

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General Sings & Symptoms of Disease Fish
Introduction:
A disease is an abnormal condition that affects the body of an organism. It is often
construed as a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be
caused by factors originally from an external source, such as infectious disease, or it may be
caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases.
The term disease broadly refers to any condition that impairs normal function, and is
therefore associated with dysfunction of normal homeostasis. Commonly, the term disease
is used to refer specifically to infectious diseases, which are clinically evident diseases that
result from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi,
protozoa, multicellular organisms, and aberrant proteins known as prions. An infection
that does not and will not produce clinically evident impairment of normal functioning,
such as the presence of the normal bacteria and yeasts in the gut, or of a passenger virus, is
not considered a disease. By contrast, an infection that is asymptomatic during its
incubation period, but expected to produce symptoms later, is usually considered a disease.
Non-infectious diseases are all other diseases, including most forms of cancer, heart
disease, and genetic disease.
The term disease broadly refers to any condition that impairs normal function, and is
therefore associated with dysfunction of normal homeostasis. Commonly, the term disease
is used to refer specifically to infectious diseases, which are clinically evident diseases that
result from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including viruses, bacteria, fungi,
protozoa, multicellular organisms, and aberrant proteins known as prions. An infection
that does not and will not produce clinically evident impairment of normal functioning,
such as the presence of the normal bacteria and yeasts in the gut, or of a passenger virus, is
not considered a disease.
Bacterial Disease:
Fish are susceptible to a wide variety of bacterial pathogens. Many of these bacteria
capable of causing disease are considered by some to be saprophytic in nature. This
bacteria only become pathogens when fishes are physiologically unbalanced, nutritionally
deficient, or there are other stressors, i.e., poor water quality, overstocking, which allow
opportunistic bacterial infections to proceed. Some of these bacterial pathogens of fishes
are fastidious and require special growth media for laboratory culture. Others grow at
different temperatures, dependent upon the aquatic environmental temperature of the fish.

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Some of the more common bacterial Diseases are listed below.
 Furunculosis of Salmonids
 Cutaneous Ulcerative Disease
 Motile Aeromonas Septicemia(MAS)
 Vibriosis
 Enteric Septicemia of Catfish (ESC)
 Edwardsiellosis (EPD)
 Bacterial Kidney Disease(BKD)
 Mycobacteriosis
 Columnaris Disease
General Signs & symptom of bacterial disease:
The common signs can be one or a combination of the following:
 Reddened and frayed fins, or red streaks through the fins. Red fins are often a sign of
"ammonia burn", which can be caused by poor packing procedures during shipping.
 Disintegration of the fins, i.e fin and tail rot.
 Redness around the area of the lateral line, often seen as streaks or blotches.
 Open sores on the sides of the body and near the fins.
 Bloody scales at the base of the fins.
 Rapid breathing.
 A gray film over bulging eyes (Pop Eye).
 Listlessness or lethargy.
 Loss of appetite.
 Abdominal swelling or bloating. This is usually a sign of a bladder infection, often a
common problem with Wrasses that burrow in the substrate.
Bacterial Infections: Inactivity, loss of color, frayed fins, bloated body, cloudy eyes, open
sores, abscesses, red streaks throughout body, reddening or inflammation of the skin, fins
or internal organs, bulging eyes, difficulty breathing.
Viral Disease:
Viral diseases are extremely widespread infections caused by viruses, a type of
microorganism. Fish viruses have wider, but specific, temperature tolerances in fish cell
cultures at lower temperatures. Because of this relatively defined temperature range,

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variation in temperature may enable control, although often it merely induces latency.
Because many viral diseases of fish are geographically limited, regulatory agencies and fish
farms in disease-free areas consider them exotic diseases and require certification of
introduced stocks.
There are many types of viruses that cause a wide variety of viral diseases. The most
common type of viral disease is the common cold, which is caused by a viral infection of the
upper respiratory tract (nose and throat). Other common viral diseases include:
 Channel Catfish Virus (CCV) Disease
 Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis
 Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia
 Spring Viremia of Carp (SVC)
 Lymphocystis Disease
 Viral Erythrocytic Necrosis
 Epizootic Erythropoietic Necrosis (EHN)
 Largemouth Bass Virus
 Infectious Salmon Anemia
 Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis
 Koi Herpesvirus
 Carp Pox
General Signs & symptom of Viral disease:
Symptoms of viral diseases vary depending on the specific type of virus causing infection,
the area of the body that is infected, the age and health history of the patient, and other
factors. The symptoms of viral diseases can affect almost any area of the body or body
system. Symptoms of viral diseases can include:
 Gastrointestinal disturbances,
 Irritability
 Malaise (general ill feeling)
 Sneezing.
 Swollen lymph nodes.
 Swollen tonsils.
 Unexplained weight loss.
 Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eye.
 Bulging of the soft spot on the top of the head.
 Difficulty with feeding.

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Fungal Disease:
Fungal infections are infections caused by a fungus, a type of microorganism. Fish fungus is
a contagious disease that can easily spread in the tank, especially because the water just
circulates within the tank. Saltwater fish species have equal chances of being affected by
fungus as freshwater species. Often, the fungus attack is due to poor water quality and a
dirt tank.
Most of the time, there is nothing that the owner could do to treat the ailment in fishes that
show advanced signs of deterioration. These fishes should be isolated or destroyed to try to
prevent the spread of disease to the other fishes. Because the fungus could live on the
surface of the tank and all the organisms and objects inside it, it is best to thoroughly clean
the tank before re-introducing the healthy fishes.
General Symptoms of fungal infection:
Symptoms of fungal infections differ depending on the type and severity of the infection,
the area of the body affected, and individual factors. Some general symptoms are:
Ichthyosporidium:
 Sluggishness
 Hollow bellies
 Swimming and balance difficulties
 External sores and cysts
 Fin and tail rot
Columnaris: (Flavobacterium columnare)
 Off white to gray infections or sores that are located close to, around, or on the
mouth.
Saprolegnia:
 Whitish or grayish growth on the fins, tail, and skin of the fish.
 Cottony growth on the affected areas.
Symptoms of fungal infections that affect the mouth (oral thrush) include:
 Lesions or sores that are raised, are yellow-white in color, and appear in patches in
the mouth or throat and/or on the tongue.
 Sore, bleeding gums.

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 Patches or lesions that become sore, raw and painful, making it difficult to eat or
swallow.
Parasitic disease:
Symptoms of parasitic disease:
 Inactivity,
 Loss of appetite,
 Excess mucus or film on body,
 Visible spots or worms,
 Rapid breathing,
 Scratching.
Nutritional Disease:
Nutritional management of fish is highly variable, depending on species and system.
Symptoms of Nutritional disease:
 Vitamin A deficiency has been associated with poor growth and retinal atrophy.
 Vitamins B, folic acid deficiency has been associated with poor growth and, in
channel catfish, with anemia. It also cause nutritional anemia of catfish by
contaminating bacterial feed.
 Vitamin E deficiency has been related to myopathy, including muscular deformities.
 Pantothenic acid deficiency has been associated with clubbed gills
 Acute thiamine deficiency has been associated with neurologic signs, including
convulsions and death; chronic deficiency has resulted in loss of equilibrium, edema,
and poor growth.
 Riboflavin deficiency has been associated with vascularization of the cornea,
hyperpigmentation, clouding, and hemorrhage of the eyes.
 Niacin, biotin, and pyridoxine deficiencies have been associated with neurologic
abnormalities, including spasms and convulsions.
 Choline and inositol deficiency have been linked to poor growth.
 Skeletal muscle abnormalities have been associated with selenium deficiency and
rancid feeds.
 Rancid feeds have also been linked to steatites.

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Genetic disease:
Genetic disease is any disease that is caused by an abnormality in an individual's genome.
The abnormality can range from minuscule to major from a discrete mutation in a single
base in the DNA of a single gene to a gross chromosome abnormality involving the addition
or subtraction of an entire chromosome or set of chromosomes. Some genetic disorders are
inherited from the parents, while other genetic diseases are caused by acquired changes or
mutations in a preexisting gene or group of genes. Mutations occur either randomly or due
to some environmental exposure.
Sings & Symptoms of Genetic Disease:
 Cystic fibrosis,
 Sickle cell anemia,
 Marfan syndrome,
 hemochromatosis.
Some common disease and its symptoms of fish:
Disease and Causes Symptoms Reason for Infection
Ulcers
Caused by Pseudomonas
and Aeromonas bacteria
Pinky-white open wounds,
often with a white edge and
sometimes secondarily
infected by fungi and other
bacteria.
Very poor water quality or an
excessively high pH level. Minor
scratches can become infected if
conditions are poor. Also
commonly affects newly imported
Koi and goldfish.
Cloudy eye
Caused by poor water
quality, poor diet, eye
flukes, corneal damage,
bacterial infection.
Entire surface or lens of eye
takes on a cloudy, opaque
appearance. There may be a
build-up of mucus on the
outer surface.
Most commonly caused by poor
water conditions. A lack of vitamins
in the diet may also cause clouding.
On rare occasions digenetic flukes,
such as Diplostomum, can cause
problems.
Dropsy
Usually caused by bacterial
infection. Viral infection,
nutritional, metabolic and
osmoregulatory problems
can also be responsible.
Swelling of the body cavity
due to a build-up of fluid.
Scales become raised giving
a pinecone-like appearance.
One or both of the eyes may
be protruded.
Usually triggered by poor water
quality, especially the presence of
ammonia and nitrite. Often
confined to individual fish.

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White spot
Caused by Ichthyophthirius
multifiliis parasite
Small white spots, about the
size of a salt grain, on the
skin, fins and gills.
Stress related. Usually a
consequence of poor or incorrect
water conditions, fluctuating
temperature and general poor
husbandry. Sensitive species may
develop white spot as a result of
being introduced to a new
aquarium.
Bacterial infection
Caused by Aeromonas and
Pseudomonas bacteria
Reddening of the skin or
fins; ragged fins with signs
of infection, open sores.
Common on many newly
imported fishes. Often
accompanied by other
diseases, including fungi.
Poor water conditions, especially
the presence of ammonia and
nitrite. Wounds resulting from poor
handling, transport or fighting may
become secondarily infected by
these bacteria if conditions are
poor.
Fungus
Caused by Saprolegnia and
Achlya
Fluffy growths affecting
wounds on the skin and fins
of freshwater fishes.
Usually a secondary infection that
invades wounds left by ulcers and
parasites, including whitespot.
Rarely a problem in tanks with
good water quality.
Finrot
Caused by Aeromonas,
Pseudomonas or
Flexibacter bacteria
Frayed fins, often with a pale
pinky-white edge and some
blood in the fin tissue.
The bacteria are present on most
fish. Stress from poor water
conditions usually triggers an
infection. Nipped fins may become
secondarily infected if water is
polluted. Some wounds may also be
attacked by fungus.
Swimbladder disorder
Caused by bacterial
infection, incorrect diet,
trapped gas, physical
deformities.
Fish have difficulty
swimming to the surface, or
to the lower levels of the
tank. Commonly affects egg-
shaped fancy goldfish.
Sometimes caused by poor water
quality. Genetic problems in
selectively-bred goldfish.
Lymphocystis
Caused by an iridovirus
The virus causes crusty
grey-white lumps to develop
on the skin and fins. These
may affect freshwater or
marine fishes, and
sometimes take on the
colour of the underlying
skin.
The disease is viral, but may be
triggered by stress, poor handling
or poor water. Some fish may carry
the virus without showing
symptoms.

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Recommendation & Conclusion:
From this study we knew about the general Signs & symptoms of disease fish. The diseases
are harmful for both wild & cultured fishes of our country. It may cause a heavy loss for
commercially cultured fishes. So, we should be known about the disease signs & symptoms,
so that we can easily find out the proper treatment.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disease
http://www.localhealth.com/article/bacterial-diseases
http://www.localhealth.com/article/viral-diseases/symptoms
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/exotic_and_laboratory_animals/fish/viral_disease
s_of_fish.html
http://www.bristol-aquarists.org.uk/Common diseases of goldfish.htm
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/exotic_and_laboratory_animals/fish/nutritional_d
iseases_of_fish.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/genetic_disease/article.htm