La Crosse Fish Health Center

Photo Album

A tray of brook trout brood stock from which viral and bacterial samples will be taken.

An inoculating loop is inserted into kidney tissue and then swabbed over growth media in a test tube. The test tube will provide optimal conditions for the growth of bacterial pathogens, if present.

Kidney tissue is deposited on a slide. The tissue will be screened for Bacterial Kidney Disease using the Fluorescent Antibody Test. This required the use of a darkroom.

Fluorescent Antibody Test. The glowing bacteria are Renibacterium salmoninarum, the causitive agent of Bacterial Kidney Disease. Antibodies that attach only to R. salmoninarum are added to samples taken from fish. The antibodies are coated in a dye that fluoresces under special light. If the bacterium is present, the sample will appear as in the picture when viewed with a fluorescent microscope in a darkroom setting.

A typical fish anatomy. This diagram is of a largemouth bass. Samples are taken primarily from kidney, spleen and the swim bladder tissues. When screening salmonids (trout and salmon species), heads are also sampled in order to detect the presence of Whirling's disease.

Performing tests in the lab that screen for Whirling Disease.

The virology lab. All tests needed to detect fish viruses are conducted here.

The bacteriology lab. All tests needed to detect bacterial fish pathogens are conducted here.

Sarah Bauer taking samples at a routine hatchery inspection.

A crowd gathers to watch fish health at work.

Eric Leis helping a youngster learn how to catch fish during "Kid's Ice Fishing Day" in January 2008.

Fish Health Biologists attend the annual sturgeon spearing on Lake Winnebago in order to collect samples from the sturgeon.

Introduction to Fish Health short course, class of 2008.

Virology sample being taken from infected bass.

Ken Phillips measuring fish caught for a National Wild Fish Health Survey in 2004.

A boat fitted with electrofishing equipment is used to collect fish for surveys.

Survey in full swing.

Ashley Umberger participating in the annual goby roundup on the Illinois river.

A Chicago Public Radio correspondent interviews Eric Leis on the goby roundup and the invasive asian carp.

Invasive Asian silver carp caught during goby roundup.

Corey Pusach and Ashley Umberger with a presentation on Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus at the Genoa National Hatchery 75th anniversary celebration.

Terrence Ott using a microscope to identify bacteria in the lab.