28th ANNUAL EASTERN FISH HEALTH WORKSHOP April 21-25, 2003 Spring Viremia Of Carp And The Farmer:  Communication, Compassion, And Diplomacy Gregory A. Lewbart1, James Provo2, Terry Clark2, Larry Christian1 1North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC  27606; 2USDA-APHIS-VS, Raleigh, NC  27606 The identification of the Spring Viremia of Carp Virus (SVCv) on a North Carolina/Virginia koi carp farm in the spring of 2002 initiated an unprecedented quarantine and planned depopulation of an ornamental fish facility in the United States.  The affected farm had sites in North Carolina and Virginia totaling 202 ponds.  It is the largest koi producer in North America and has been in business since 1958.  At the time of the SVCv confirmation and subsequent state-imposed quarantine, the company employed 26 full-time employees.  Seven months later (March, 2003) and with all ponds still under quarantine, the full-time staff was reduced to 12 and all part-time workers had been released.  There will be plenty of important and interesting information presented at this conference related to the SVC virus.   The topics of diagnosis confirmation, isolation, depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, and eradication will be discussed in detail.  But there is more to this case than science and regulatory logistics.  Dedicated fish farmers with families to support and employees to care for have been severely and potentially irrevocably impacted.  Fortunately, though the concerted efforts of the farmers and the various regulatory agencies, the entire process has moved forward in a mature, orderly, and constructive manner.  Clear communication, honesty, and occasional bits of humor can make an extremely difficult situation tolerable and productive.  The current plan is to complete depopulation of the ponds in the spring of 2003 and clean and disinfect all aquatic systems, equipment, and facilities.   The ponds will be restocked according to USDA/APHIS guidelines followed by routine monitoring of the farm as an SVCv-free facility.    Return to 28th Annual Eastern Fish Health Workshop Return to Leetown Science Center Home Page