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Experts have warned of a deadly farmed fish-killing virus identified for the first time in Kenya and Africa.
The virus identified in two trout farms in Nyeri, can kill 100 per cent of the fish in a farm and quickly spread to other areas.
Fish experts say the disease is notifiable to the World Organization for Animal Health and has serious economic implications for the farmers including total quarantine or stamping out.
The Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHNV) has never before been reported in Kenya while the identified strain was identical to those found in Asia.
“Before the present study, there was no report of the presence of the virus in Kenya or in the African continent,” researchers say in a new study.
The study has been carried out by Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway, and the University of Nairobi and published on Tuesday (26th February 2019) in the Journal of Fish Diseases.
“We were responding to reports from two rainbow trout farms in Nyeri where deaths of up to 100 per cent had been recorded,” says the study.
Rainbow trout in Kenya is reared mainly in the high altitude regions of Nyeri, Nyandarua, Embu, Meru and Kirinyaga counties, with about five commercial farms in Nyeri County.
Working with the Fisheries Department in Nyeri County, the researchers had collected samples from the two firms which were tested for various diseases at both the University of Nairobi and in Norway.
“We detected the IHNV in juvenile fish called fry at both farms,” confirms the study. Following the findings the Kenya Veterinary Department had quarantined the affected farms, depopulated and disinfected them prior to restocking.
“The findings of the present study confirm the presence of IHNV in the rainbow trout industry of Nyeri County in Kenya.”
The authors led by Isaac R Mulei want strict regulations to be put in place in the importations of breeding materials and as well as improved hygiene practices by rainbow trout farmers in Kenya. Infected juvenile fish were found to accumulate at water inlets, had dark coloration of the skin and often found in spiral swimming.
In older fish, darkened skin, distended abdomen and abnormal swimming were frequently observed.
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