FURUNCULOSIS again in our trout!!

Went fishing today and caught a bunch...One in particular looked like either an animal had it's way or IDK, anyone wanna give it a guess, some kinda creases on the side by the gills and back from there.........Is this furunculosis?.....I didn't keep any fish(and prob won't until the spring if any), but the fish was healthy and swam off no problem....ended up w/ 7 total....water was chocolate milk and flowing heavy which made it tough....

[WormFisherman]

I'm a little confused why they aren't stocking the passaic river below the Great Swamps. This area can't support trout, let alone wild trout. I guess this year I can't do my daily quick stop at the Gorge.

[Skunk City]

Originally Posted by WormFisherman

I'm a little confused why they aren't stocking the passaic river below the Great Swamps. This area can't support trout, let alone wild trout. I guess this year I can't do my daily quick stop at the Gorge.

There IS a natural population of Trout up there. The water quality has been given the highest grade available in that stretch. FastEddie routinely catches them up in this area. The state doesn't want it spreading to existing Trout populations, so they are not risking it I guess.

[surfrod]

The state is treating Furunculosis using Aquaflor:

AQUAFLOR® Approved for Controlling Mortality Due to Furunculosis in Freshwater-Reared Salmonids

Efficacy studies show that AQUAFLOR is highly effective

KENILWORTH, N.J., Nov. 6, 2007 — AQUAFLOR® (florfenicol), the fast-acting in-feed antibiotic developed by Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for control of mortality in freshwater-reared salmonids due to furunculosis associated with Aeromonas salmonicida.

“AQUAFLOR has been shown in clinical field trials to be highly effective for the treatment of furunculosis, which is a serious disease concern in salmonid species. Furunculosis outbreaks often times result in substantial losses,” says Dr. David Erdahl, Fisheries Biologist and Branch Chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Program in Bozeman, Montana.

“This is the first new oral antibiotic available for the treatment of furunculosis in 20 years, and represents an important new management tool for fisheries programs throughout the country,” says Erdahl.

USFWS conducted the efficacy studies demonstrating the effectiveness of AQUAFLOR to control mortality due to furunculosis. AQUAFLOR administered in feed to either fingerling Coho salmon or fingerling Chinook salmon with naturally occurring furunculosis significantly reduced mortality compared to untreated controls. For instance, in a study with Fall Chinook Salmon fingerlings, mortality in fish treated with AQUAFLOR was reduced by over 80 percent. No adverse reactions to treatment were reported in any of the studies.

Outbreaks of furunculosis associated with Aeromonas salmonicida, a Gram-negative bacterium, can cause rapid onset of high mortality. Sub-acute or chronic forms of the disease lead to lower mortality and the formation of external “boil like lesions” or furuncles.

According to the FDA, losses due to furunculosis associated with Aeromonas salmonicida are significant in hatchery-reared salmonids, including those at state and federal hatcheries producing fish for native species restoration programs.

The agency said it reviewed “extensive data” on the antibiotic’s effectiveness against furunculosis and its safety for treated fish and the environment. FDA also said it found that freshwater-reared salmonids fed AQUAFLOR are safe for human consumption when the product is administered according to label directions.

AQUAFLOR has been shown to be effective for several other diseases in aquaculture, such as coldwater disease (associated with Flavobacterium psychrophilum) in freshwater-reared salmonids and enteric septicemia in catfish (ESC) associated with Edwardsiella ictaluri. Earlier this year, its sister product, AQUAFLOR®-CA1 (florfenicol), received a conditional approval for the control of mortality in catfish due to columnaris disease associated with Flavobacterium columnare.

Studies show AQUAFLOR does not lead to reductions in feed consumption or growth. AQUAFLOR also has a short, 15-day withdrawal period in freshwater-reared salmonids.

AQUAFLOR is the first in-feed antibiotic in aquaculture and the second for all food-animal species to be classified by the FDA as a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) drug. VFD is a category established in 1996 to help the agency more closely control new therapeutic products, primarily antimicrobials, and their use in food animals. The VFD classification applies only to new in-feed therapeutics approved by FDA after 2000. Aquaculturists may obtain VFD drugs through normal feed distribution channels, but they will be required to obtain a signed Veterinary Feed Directive from a licensed veterinarian.

For more information on AQUAFLOR and AQUAFLOR-CA1, producers should contact their extension specialist, veterinarian, diagnostician or feed company representative. Information also may be obtained at www.AQUAFLOR-USA.com or by calling Schering-Plough Animal Health 1-800-521-5767.

[WormFisherman]

Originally Posted by Skunk City

There IS a natural population of Trout up there. The water quality has been given the highest grade available in that stretch. FastEddie routinely catches them up in this area. The state doesn't want it spreading to existing Trout populations, so they are not risking it I guess.

Skunk I know the are that you are talking about, but this area of the passaic is a little bit further downstream. The water above the great swamps is one of my favorite go to wts, but the area under it is a hot mucky swamp. The stocking areas ( or now non stocked areas) I'm specifically talking about is the stocking on haas rd, basking ridge and the passaic river in Longhill.

[UglyStick]

Originally Posted by WormFisherman

Skunk I know the are that you are talking about, but this area of the passaic is a little bit further downstream. The water above the great swamps is one of my favorite go to wts, but the area under it is a hot mucky swamp. The stocking areas ( or now non stocked areas) I'm specifically talking about is the stocking on haas rd, basking ridge and the passaic river in Longhill.

This is true, but it is still directly connected and theoretically a fish could go from one spot to the other - mother nature always finds a way. By stocking them below great falls, you have a guaranteed separation barrier. FWIW, this isn't speculation on the choice, it was told to me last Sat. by F&W rep.

[NJMountainMan]

Apparently F&W is dumping 24,000 trout into the Raritan? Will these fish survive the summer heat? It would be awesome if there was a good sized trout population in the lower part of the river. I caught a pretty good sized trout in the raritan this past spring and everyone I showed it to thought it was a holdover.

I heard from a old timer that there was a natural trout population in the gorge, I guess I should try over there sometime.

[AndyS]

When I pulled the big net with the Rutgers people below the Island Farm Fish Weir in Bridgewater last spring we had 4 young of the year brown trout in our pull. In 2011, 116 trout came up the Raritan river in the spring, in 2012, 133, and I think just as many in 2013 from what I saw.

[Dave B.]

Originally Posted by iceehot6766

Went fishing today and caught a bunch...One in particular looked like either an animal had it's way or IDK, anyone wanna give it a guess, some kinda creases on the side by the gills and back from there.........Is this furunculosis?.....I didn't keep any fish(and prob won't until the spring if any), but the fish was healthy and swam off no problem....ended up w/ 7 total....water was chocolate mile and flowing heavy which made it tough....

Definitely looks like predator scars, seen that many times. Images of infected fish can be seen here... http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf...esentation.pdf About halfway down you'll see the fish. These are browns from Pequest that broke with the initial infection.