Richmond Loh

The Fish Vet · Veterinary Department

A mass mortality of the sea hare Aplysia gigantea at Augusta, Western Australia was first reported to local authorities on 10 February 2021. The number of dead sea hares on the beach increased rapidly, until thousands were to be seen on a 4 km stretch; the maximum density of dead individuals was estimated at 20–30/m². We suggest the mortality was c...

The ornamental fish industry is growing quickly globally. Asia represents 51% of the export market for this industry and in Singapore alone it has an estimated market value of US$66 million. Despite the economic importance of this industry for Australasia, aquatic veterinary support for the ornamental fish sector is scarce. In many cases ornamental...

Australia was previously believed to be free of enzootic swine influenza viruses due strict quarantine practices and use of biosecure breeding facilities. The first proven Australian outbreak of swine influenza occurred in Western Australian in 2012, revealing an unrecognized zoonotic risk, and a potential future pandemic threat. A public health in...

The present study assessed the prevalence and morphology of Leucocytozoon podargii from wild tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) in Western Australia (WA) and genetically characterised the cytochrome b gene (cyt b) of L. podargii in wild tawny frogmouths from WA and Queensland (QLD). The prevalence of L. podargii in wild tawny frogmouths from WA...

Global swine populations infected with influenza A viruses pose a persistent pandemic risk. With the exception of a few countries, our understanding of the genetic diversity of swine influenza viruses is limited, hampering control measures and pandemic risk assessment. Here we report the genomic characteristics and evolutionary history of influenza...

This is a study of vertebral deformities in ornamental koi based on computed radiography and skeletons cleaned by dermestid beetles (Dermestes maculatus). All koi developed gradual onset of swimming abnormalities as adults. Extensive intervertebral osteophyte formation correlated with age of fish and was associated with hindquarter paresis in one k...

Early detection of ill-health in fish is key to successful outcome. Fish show a range of clinical signs of disease, though most are rarely pathognomonic. This article explains the reasons for the physical and behavioural changes, providing the observer with a list of differential diagnoses.

The welfare of ornamental fish kept in aquariums or ponds has historically been taken for granted by fish keepers, the ornamental fish industry and animal welfare organisations. This is attributed to the low cost of many ornamental fish, lack of reliable information about their health care, or a perceived lack of veterinarians with skills in aquati...

Parasitic diseases are a common fact of fish keeping, particularly if there are continual new introductions to the tank or pond. Sick fish display a limited range of clinical signs and these are usually insufficient to distinguish between the variety of aetiological agents. This article describes the salient gross and microscopic diagnostic feature...

This article provides the practical veterinary aspects of treating common infectious diseases in fishes. A selection of drugs, routes of administration and dosages of medications are presented as treatment protocols for the various broad categories of ailments.

Common techniques used in fish diagnostics include: taking a history; examining the environment; testing the water quality; checking for clinical signs of disease; microscopic examination of skin mucus, fin and gill biopsies; sampling for bacterial cultures; faecal examination; blood tests; necropsy; histopathology and more. After testing for water...

Fish rely on the qualities of water for many biological processes and their health depends on several key parameters, including temperature, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, carbonate hardness, general hardness, dissolved oxygen and salinity. This article gives an overview of each water parameter as it applies to fish health, and gives advice on prac...

Fish, like many other pets, succumb to diseases and may require veterinary attention. Along with water quality analyses, standard veterinary diagnostic tests can be applied to investigate diseases in fish such as collecting a history, physical examination, microscopy, post-mortem examinations, haematology, clinical chemistry, bacteriology and virol...

Eight month old Rainbow trout were found dead ten days after shot down of a fresh water recirculation system. The cause of death was diagnosed as chlorine toxicity. The fish carcasses appeared pale and anemic and had enlarged gall bladders and mild multifocal dermatitis. Histopathological inspection revealed edema and foamy vacillation in the gill...

In the mid 1990s an emerging disease characterised by the development of proliferative lesions around the face of Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) was observed. A multi-disciplinary approach was adopted to define the condition. Histopathological and transmission electron microscopic examination combined with immunohistochemistry help define...

A disfiguring and debilitating neoplastic condition known as devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) has been discovered in wild Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) across 51% of its natural range, with population declines of up to 80% in some areas (C. Hawkins, personal communication). Between 2001 and 2004, 91 cases were examined. The tumors presen...

Immunohistochemical techniques were used to characterize the disfiguring and debilitating fatal neoplastic disease, devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), which has recently affected a significant proportion of the wild population of Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). The diagnostic values of a number of immunohistochemical stains were employed t...

The major outcome achieved is a greatly expanded knowledge of the diseases present in Australian commercially exploited abalone species, together with knowledge of their distribution and pathology. This has been achieved with the involvement of diagnostic laboratories in five States, which has greatly expanded the number of laboratories and diagnos...

The pathology of a disfiguring and debilitating fatal disease affecting a high proportion of the wild population of Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) that was discovered is described. The disease, named devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), has been identified in devils found across 60% of the Tasmanian landscape. The prevalence of this disease...