KHV Diagnostic and Screening Tests

This polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is performed on tissue samples from clinically affected fish, or fish showing signs of koi herpesvirus (KHV). Once we have received your fish samples the results will be ready within 10 days. Samples submitted can either be live fish, whole dead fish or appropriate tissue samples. The fish have to be killed for the test. If your carp test negative, then this indicates that the individual fish tested are not infected with KHV and are clear of the virus. If your carp test positive, this indicates those individual fish tested are infected with KHV.

ELISA stands for Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. This assay is a rapid, high throughput test for antibodies, and requires just a blood sample. The blood sample can easily be taken from live fish. The test results are normally returned within 8 working days of receiving blood samples. This test is for as minimum of 10 fish. The fish are not killed. Carp that have survived a KHV disease outbreak will produce antibodies to the virus. The ELISA test detects these antibodies. If your carp test negative, then this indicates they have not been exposed to KHV and are clear of the virus. If your carp test positive, this doesn’t automatically mean they are infected with KHV, but it indicates they have been exposed to the virus. Therefore, they should be considered to present a risk of carrying the virus and will have the potential to transmit the virus to other Koi or carp that have not been previously exposed to KHV, and to cause KHV disease in those fish.

This polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is designed to provide a disease status check to those dealing with large quantities of koi or common carp. This test can be performed on fish exhibiting no obvious symptoms of KHV and takes about 4 weeks to complete, including a two week quarantine period. This test is for a large quantity of fish and requires either 30 or 150 fish to be supplied. The fish have to be killed for the test. If your carp test negative, then this indicates that the population of fish tested are not infected with KHV and are clear of the virus. If your carp test positive, this indicates that the population of fish tested are infected with KHV.