I will do the work, you guys just read.. (I hope when ya'll come back from the Synposium everyone will be experts and learn me
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Pathogen diagnosis
The ability to correctly identify pathogenic organisms (e.g., monogeneans, cestodes, nematodes, crustaceans, protozoans, bacteria, etc.), in combination with an understanding of their life history, will lead workers to make informed diagnoses and implement more effective treatments. In particular, it is important to understand primary and secondary health concerns. For example, it may be determined that an outbreak of monogeneans has been exacerbated by the presence of environmental stressors (e.g., poor water quality, high population density, etc.). Once monogeneans have infested a population of elasmobranchs, a secondary bacterial infection may ensue and ultimately result in specimen mortality. Any treatment regime should thus address the primary infection (i.e., monogeneans), the secondary infection (i.e., bacteria), and importantly, any conditions that have aided the disease process (i.e., poor water quality and/or high population density), for the regime to be effective.
Monogeneans represent the greatest challenge to newly-arrived elasmobranchs. These organisms are difficult to eradicate because of their ability to remain viable, without a host, for extended periods of time. Control of these pathogens, through quarantine, is recommended. If quarantine is impractical, serious consideration should be given to the application of a medicated bath (e.g., praziquantel) before elasmobranchs are moved into their destination aquarium. If an elasmobranch is suspected to have a specific pathogen, but is asymptomatic and presents no risk to other animals (e.g., in the case of speciesspecific parasites), it may be deemed appropriate to leave the animal untreated (i.e., forgo prophylaxis). For parasites (e.g., trematodes, cestodes, etc.) requiring an intermediate host that is not present within the system, it is advisable to let the parasite perish naturally. Wherever possible, it is preferred to keep treatments to a minimum. Although chemotherapeutic treatments are obviously intended to aid elasmobranchs, medication will always present an associated stress that could do more damage to the host animal than the intended target pathogen.
-Mode of medication-
Immersion (bath)
When preparing medicated baths it is critical to accurately assess the volume of treatment water before adding the medication. Water volume can be determined by using a calibrated flow meter, a calibrated container, or by a calculation of vessel volume. For aquariums with irregular dimensions, volume can be calculated by adding a known weight of salt and measuring the change in salinity. Dividing the weight of added salt (grams) by the change in salinity (g l-1 = ‰ = ppt) provides the vessel volume in liters. Once the volume of the treatment vessel is known, it is important to accurately calculate the amount of drug or chemical to add to the vessel to achieve the desired dosage. It is highly recommended to have two people perform the calculations independently to ensure accuracy.
An important consideration, when applying medicated baths, is an understanding of the chemical’s reaction to LSS components (e.g., some chemicals are destroyed by ozone), and indeed their impact on LSS components (e.g., some antibiotics can damage the beneficial bacteria inside biological filters). Another important consideration is the possibility of synergistic effects—e.g., the presence of nickel at just 2.0 μg l-1 will double the effect of a copper treatment (Sorensen, 1991). Thus, a 2.0 mg l-1 antiparasitic treatment of copper effectively becomes a 4.0 mg l-1 lethal dosage of copper, in the presence of 2.0 μg l-1 nickel. In some cases synergy can be used to advantage (e.g., a lower concentration of two treatments—copper and organophosphates—can be used to effectively treat ectoparasites).
Once a bath is complete, medicated water must be safely disposed in accord with domestic and international regulations. This precaution is important not only for the products themselves (i.e., antibiotics, heavy metals, organophosphates, etc.), but also filter media (e.g., activated carbon) used to remove products from the water.
Oral
When administering oral medications it is important to have an accurate measurement of specimen weight, before calculating dosages. The smaller the animal the more critical it is to have an accurate and precise measurement. Some oral medications may be rejected by an elasmobranch because of their unusual taste. To disguise the taste, it may be necessary to secrete gel caps, filled with the medication, within a food item.
Parenteral (injectable)
As per oral medications, it is important to have an accurate measurement of specimen weight before calculating the dosage of injectable medications. Most parenteral treatments are administered intramuscularly (IM). Do not sterilize the injection site with alcohol prior to administration as alcohol can damage elasmobranch skin. Intramuscular medications are typically administered via a large muscle mass (e.g., the dorsal saddle) and in some cases multiple injection sites may be required if a large volume of medication is to be administered. Massaging the injection site, during and after administration, can reduce the risks of medications leaking out of the intended site.
Protocol formulation
In addition to the removal of hooks and tags, the treatment of gross lesions and abrasions, and the potential treatment of inappetence, a quarantine protocol for elasmobranchs should address the following problematic organisms: external parasites (i.e., monogeneans, crustaceans, and protozoans), internal parasites (i.e., cestodes, nematodes, and protozoans), and potential secondary bacterial infections.
