Abstract
BackgroundThe doctor fish, Garra rufa, has become increasingly popular as a treatment for skin disorders and for pedicures in recent years. Despite this there is very little information available regarding the welfare of these fish and the range of potential pathogens they may carry. In this study, a group of fish suffering from post-transport mortalities were examined and the isolated pathogens identified.FindingsGroup B Streptococcus agalactiae was isolated from kidney swabs of the fish and found to be resistant to a number of antibiotics. In addition to this, a fish virus belonging to the aquabirnavirus group, serogroup C was isolated for the first time in Ireland. However, no clinical signs of disease typical of bacterial or viral infections were observed in any fish examined.ConclusionsAs no clinical signs of disease attributable to either of the pathogens identified were found it was concluded that the mortalities were most likely due to transport related stress exacerbated by the presence of the pathogens. Further work is required to assess the suitability of current transport strategies and to examine the potential risk associated with the transport of live ornamental fish.
Highlights
The doctor fish, Garra rufa, has become increasingly popular as a treatment for skin disorders and for pedicures in recent years
As no clinical signs of disease attributable to either of the pathogens identified were found it was concluded that the mortalities were most likely due to transport related stress exacerbated by the presence of the pathogens
In August 2011, a health spa reported a number of fish dead on arrival after receiving a batch of G. rufa and that mortalities continued to occur over the following days after placing the fish in a holding tank
Summary
The doctor fish, Garra rufa, has become increasingly popular as a treatment for skin disorders and for pedicures in recent years Despite this there is very little information available regarding the welfare of these fish and the range of potential pathogens they may carry. Doctor fish are benthic feeders, known to adhere by suction to rocks while feeding on plant material using a modified lower lip termed ‘mental adhesive disc’ [2] It is this feeding behaviour which led to the use of these fish as treatments for skin disorders such as psoriasis for many years, most notably in Turkey where the practice was first described in 1989 [3].
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