Presenter: Spike Cover

Date: June 27, 2008

Koi DealerBest Health Practices Certification Program

What the heck is it?

Koi Dealers

Not hobbyists Not breeders or farmers Not grow-out facilities But KOI DEALERS – retail & wholesale

Best Health Practices

Best = best practical, but not perfect Health = koi health Practices = consistent and controlled

way of doing things

Certification Program

Certification = verification Program = organized endeavor

Put it all together

Organized endeavor Koi Dealers Practically control fish health Certified = verified

BHP

What’s the BHP trying to do?

Stop KHV disease at the dealer level

So KHV disease is not passed on to hobbyist

Is this possible?

Not completely (in practical sense) So why do it at all? Stopping some KHV is better than

stopping none It’s possible to intercept and stop all

ACTIVE KHV DISEASE (KHVD)

Andy Goodwin (I love this guy!)

…With many things, it is easy to reduce the risk by 95%, but really hard to reduce it by 99%. Some folks argue that if there are any leaks at all, the whole thing is not worth doing. The more practical amongst us recognize that reducing risk by 95% is a very real benefit…

Why can’t we stop it all?

Latency = carriers

Can we find the carriers?

Probably yes How? Antibodies Serum Neutralization – looks for

antibody effect ELISA – look for the antibodies So ………………………….

Why not test?

Testing is relatively expensive So why not just sample test?

What sample size is meaningful?

Huh?

Now this we can understand…

So how much is it?

Serum neutralization - $20 per test at UGA + blood draw + vet fee + shipping

ELISA - $25 per test at UC Davis + blood draw + local vet fee + shipping + $30 UC Davis vet fee

Sampling cost example….

Number of koi in “the batch” = 250 Estimated incidence of latent KHV = 2% Number of samples required = 110 (from

chart for 95% confidence) Serum neutralization testing =

110 fish x $20 = $2,200

or $8.80 / fish

Is lesser sampling an option?

Sure – but with lesser confidence In the example, sampling 5 fish is

virtually meaningless for untested fish unless latency is a very high percentage

When should we test?

Whenever it makes economic sense Probably not on “cheap fish” Probably so on “not-cheap fish” If and whenever an owner requests

testing – included in the price

Meanwhile…………

Back at the ranch……….

Who’s doing the BHP?

Project KHV is sponsor & management BHP authors group – (alpha order) Jerry Heidel, DVM, PhD Tim Miller-Morgan, DVM Denise Petty, DVM Allen Riggs, DVM Richard Strange, PhD

What are BHP goals?

Voluntary system in willing koi dealerships that will,

Stop KHVD before it enters the retail stocks

So not passed on to hobbyists

Goals (cont.)

Independent verification – by vets Certificate issued – by vets Ongoing reporting and inspections Recertification with

continued compliance

Questions we’ve heard ….

Who wants this program? Aren’t dealer the better choice to do a

program? Why are hobbyists involved? Why try to force dealers to do this? Why are KHA being suggested to be the

overseers?

Who wants it?

Market research – late ‘06 to early ‘07 50 US koi dealers 20 US veterinarians 75% of the dealers liked it 100% of the vets liked it

What about a Dealer program?

A dealer generated program would be preferable

There is no similar program by Dealers and none is planned

A good program takes ~ 3 years

Why are hobbyists involved?

Dealers didn’t do it Vets didn’t do it Hobbyists jumped in to simply ….

GET IT DONE Project KHV is already planning an exit Once it’s well started –

hobbyists will leave

Hobbyists’ involvement (cont.)

Veterinarians are writing the program Dealers and Vets are Beta testing BHP Vets & dealers will “cut their own deals” Vets seen as final program management

Why force the dealers?

BHP will be an all-voluntary program Everyone is free to participate or not –

Dealers and Vets Hopefully hobbyists will apply pressure

from “bottom up” BTW, Project KHV will GIVE the basic

BHP to vets that agree to not to certify non-compliant dealers

KHAs as reviewers?

One of those internet speculations that gained a life of its own

KHAs will NOT be involved Veterinarians will be the independent

third party reviewers/certifiers

What’s the BHP status?

Base document nearly complete thru 1st draft

Online course for certifying vets started June 21st ~ 10 to 12 vets in the course

Dealer Beta test sites identified ~ 15 dealers

Legal review underway

Just for gee whiz…

Down the road…..

Start Beta testing (dealers) ~ mid-July Finish Beta testing ~ Sept ‘08 Collect feedback and start BHP

modifications ~ thru end of ’08 Finish modifications and start final

reviews ~ 1st Qtr ’09 Wrap up & National release ~ 2nd Qtr ‘09

Summary

BHP goal = stop KHVD at the dealer Koi Dealers only – Totally voluntary Veterinarians write the program Veterinarians certify compliance Hobbyists exit after good start Provides a basis for better all around koi

health at dealers

QUESTIONS?

Thank you…….

The end……………..