[ODFW-News] Leaburg Hatchery to euthanize diseased fish

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
Contact: Ann Snyder, 503-947-6010 - Toll-free within Oregon:
800-720-6339 (ODFW) 	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  Fax: 503-947-6009
	

For Immediate Release	Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Leaburg Hatchery to euthanize diseased fish

SALEM - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today it
will euthanize approximately 50,000 rainbow trout being held at Leaburg
Hatchery during the next few days because they have contracted or been
exposed to an incurable disease. Healthy fish will be released ahead of
schedule to prevent them from also contracting the infection.

These actions are in accordance with ODFW's Fish Health Management
Policy, which prescribes the implementation of fish health strategies to
reduce disease agents and fish losses in Oregon.

The trout being euthanized have been raised in a pond where fish were
diagnosed last week with the infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN)
virus. IHN is a naturally occurring virus that initially attacks the
blood-forming tissues of the kidney. External symptoms include lethargy,
darkening of the skin and hemorrhaging at the base of the fins. Past
experience shows that hatchery fish losses can increase dramatically
from this disease, which has no known treatment.

Staff from the Eugene-area hatchery are working with fish pathologists
and other ODFW staff to minimize the chance of IHN recurring. Hatchery
staff will clean the fish rearing ponds where the infection occurred and
plan to take steps necessary to prevent the virus from entering the
hatchery via the hatchery water source.

The infected trout had been destined for release in Willamette Valley
waterbodies this fall. ODFW is evaluating the potential impact on fall
fisheries of this IHN outbreak.
The rainbow trout will be euthanized using MS-222 (tricaine methane
sulfonate) a chemical in the novocaine family of drugs approved by the
American Veterinary Medical Association's panel on euthanasia as an
acceptable and humane way of euthanizing fish not used for human
consumption. The fish will be frozen and sent to a landfill to contain
the spread of the disease.

ODFW fish pathologists will continue to sample fish at the hatchery. If
IHN infects more trout, additional steps will be taken to contain the
disease. Leaburg Hatchery also was forced to euthanize trout in spring
2003 due to IHN. The hatchery's operations are funded by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers.
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Information and Education Division
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 947-6002