Lectures are held for all students together - online or in present form depending on the circumstances. During the practicals, students are divided into groups. The practicals are performed in present form. Participation on the lectures is not mandatory. A student can miss a maximum of one pratical without compensation. If the student has more missed practicals, he must agree to compensate them with the tutor of subject. Active participation during the practicals is also mandatory.

After completing the subject, the student will gain knowledge in the field of fish diseases. The student can assume an expert position in solving problems in farms related to various types of pathogens. The student has knowledge not only about fish diseases, but also about fish farming itself. In practice, he can also advise on problems related to poor breeding technology, nutrition and dietetics. The student has mastered a complete examination of fish, which he can also use in ordinary veterinary practice. In addition to food fish therapy, the student is also able to implement the therapy of tropical ornamental fish species.

Systematic overview of fish species important from the point of view of commercial fishing, aquaculture, including ornamental and endangered species - fish environment, basic water parameters. Overview of equipment used in aquaculture, artificial reproduction of fish - handling of fish, examination in water and after catch, anatomical dissection and parasitological, laboratory examination, sampling. Diseases caused by abiotic factors of the environment (asphyxia, branchionecrosis, intoxication) - viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic diseases, diagnostic methods - prophylaxis, therapy, measures in case of infection, disinfection.

Lectures: 1. Fish (Osteichthyes) – systematic, geographical distribution, water environment of the fish (freshwater, brackish, saltwater); the main characteristics of the fish versus higher vertebrates. 2. Overview of the main freshwater fish species with focus on the cultured fish and sport fishing; ecologically important and protected species, gene pool preservation of the fish; fish zones. 3. World aquaculture – overview; carp and trout pond-farms, fish breeding in Slovakia; artificial reproduction of the fish, breeding and nursery of fish younglings and age categories of the main economically important species. 4. The fish as the part of environment; fish as bioindicator; foreign substances in fish – entrance pathways and their circulation in environment, present status and their influence on fish production and reproduction. 5. Fish environment; optimal conditions for fish breeding (pH, O2, NH4, temperature, organic pollution, feeding etc.); fish diseases and disorders caused by unsuitable life conditions. 6. Veterinary measures in fish breeds, therapeutical and prophylactic techniques and means; harvesting, storing, life fish transport. 7. Especially dangerous and notifiable diseases of freshwater fishes (OIE), zoonoses and veterinary measures, quarantine, disinfection. 8. Important diseases of marine fish in aquaculture - overview, measures, therapy and prophylaxis 9. Breeding and diseases of other freshwater and marine animals (Crustacea, Mollusca) important in aquaculture. 10. Therapy of fish diseases; particularities in therapy of cyprinid, salmonid and tropical fish species. 11. Medicaments overview - indications, therapeutical doses, risks and applications methods and techniques. 12. Aquaculture lows - brief overview (Veterinary Care, Fishery, IUCN, CITES, Invasive Species List) 13. Harvesting of the carp ponds - techniques and methods. Practicals: 1. Nomenclature, taxonomical status, biology and geographical distribution of individual freshwater fish species with the focus on economically important, protected and invasive species of Slovakia. 2. Examination of the fish health status in situ (escaping reflex, food intake, changes in the swimming manner etc.) and after fish out; condition assessment and clinical examination of the fish (body shape, external structures, gills, oral cavity, eyes, anus); sampling and samples exporting to the laboratory examinations (case history, personal data, sex and age determination). 3. Anatomical dissection – topographic a functional anatomy of each taxonomical group with the focus on general interspecific differences; haematological examination (blood collection, composition, methods). 4. Pathologic-anatomical fish dissection – differential diagnostics of causative agents of fish mortalities (asphyxia, intoxications, infectious and parasitic diseases); laboratory diagnostics of fish diseases, pathological changes, postmortal changes; sampling and samples processing for virological, bacteriological, mycological, parasitic, histological, toxicological examination and foreign substances. 5. Protozooses, cestodoses, trematodoses – parasitological dissection and microscopical diagnostics of parasitological diseases of fish and important zoonoses, differential diagnostics, prophylaxis. 6. Nematodoses, acanthocephaloses, hirudineoses, arthropodoses – parasitological dissection, andmicroscopical diagnostics of parasitological diseases of fish and important zoonoses, differential diagnostics, prophylaxis. 7. Viral diseases of freshwater fish species - symptoms, pathologic-anatomical changes, diagnostic methods, differential diagnostics, prophylaxis. 8. Bacterial diseases of freshwater fish species - symptoms, pathologic-anatomical changes, diagnostic methods, differential diagnostics, prophylaxis 9. Mycotic diseases of freshwater fish species - symptoms, pathologic-anatomical changes, diagnostic methods, differential diagnostics, prophylaxis 10. Intoxications in fish – sampling and export of the fish samples to toxicological examination; diagnostics of intoxications on the basis of the water and fish samples; acute toxicity test in fish and water animals - importance, methods, evaluation; biological experiment; diseases of the fish eggs and fry. 11. Overview of the other popular freshwater and marine animals (Crustacea, Mollusca) important in aquaculture, invasive and protected species; characteristics, life cycles, ecological status. 12. Main pathogens of the other freshwater and marine animals important in aquaculture and their role in spreading of the significant zoonoses, diagnostics, therapy and prophylaxis. 13. Credit test

Noga E.J.,2010: Fish diseases: diagnosis and treatment. Wiley-Blackvell, ISBN 0813806976, 236 pp. Roberts R. J.,1989: Fish pathology. Bailliere Tindall, London, 467 pp. Svobodová Z., Vykusová B.,1991: Diagnostics prevention and therapy of fish diseases and intoxications. VÚRH, Vodňany, 270 pp. Stoskopf M. K.,1993: Fish Medicine. W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 882 pp. Woo P. T. K.,1995: Fish diseases and disorders. Volume 1, Protozoan and Metazoan Infections. CAB International, Cambridge, 808 pp. Woo P. T. K.; Bruno, D. W.1999: Fish diseases and disorders Vol.3: Viral, bacterial and fungal infections. 874 pp.

Content prerequisite:

parasitology, epizootology

Continuous assessment:

Continuous evaluation is based on active participation in the practices. A maximum of one missed practices. The student must achieve at least 60% of the credit test, which consists of questions from pre-clinical topics - presented and implemented in lectures and practices.

Conditions for completion of course:

Lectures are held for all students together - online or in present form depending on the circumstances. During the practicals, students are divided into groups. The practicals are performed in present form. Participation on the lectures is not mandatory. A student can miss a maximum of one pratical without compensation. If the student has more missed practicals, he must agree to compensate them with the tutor of subject. Active participation during the practicals is also mandatory.

Final assessment:

The student takes a oral exam. The evaluation (grade, mark) is awarded based on the rules resulting from the study regulations. The student chooses two questions, one from the group in which there are questions about therapy and parasitic diseases and the other from the group of other infectious diseases (viral, bacterial, oomycetosis, etc.).