a review of fish welfare and public health concerns ... · introduction garra rufa are freshwater...

3 FishVeterinaryJournal•Number13•2012 FishVeterinaryJournal•Number13•2012 4

AreviewoffishwelfareandpublichealthconcernsabouttheuseofGarra rufainfootspas

William H Wildgoose655 High Road, Leyton, London E10 6RA

AbstractThe fish spa industry in the UK started in 2010 and has developed at a rapid rate. This novel beauty treatment is now available in many outlets and involves large numbers of fish held in compact self-contained recirculating systems. Several concerns regarding public health and fish welfare in this unlicensed business have been raised by several organisations. This paper discusses various aspects of the Animal Welfare Act (2006) and how these apply to the use of Garra rufa in these facilities.

Introduction

Garra rufa are freshwater fish that originate from the river basinsof theMiddleEastandisoneofabout100GarraspeciesinthefamilyCyprinidae.ThesefishliveinoutdoorpoolsofsomeTurkishspaswherethey‘nibble’offthethickenedanddeadskinofhumanbathers.Consequently,thisspe-ciesof fish is alsoknownas ‘doctor fish’, ‘nibble fish’or ‘Kangal fish’;the latter name being taken from a spa town in themountainous area ofcentralTurkeywheretheyarefound.Thisslendergreyishbrowncyprinidhaspharyngealteethbutthesuckingmouthhasanexpandedlowerlipthatformsaroundorovalsuckingpad,whichhassharpkeratinisededgesusedforscrapingfoodfromthesurfaceofsubmergedrocksandlogs.Thisfeed-ingmethodisthebasisfortheiruseinfootspatreatmentsinbeautysalonswherecustomerssitwiththeirfeetsubmergeduptomid-calflevelforses-sionslastinguptothirtyminutes.Afewotherspeciesoffisharealsousedinfishspas,andhandsmayalsobeimmersedinthetanks.Inadditiontothecosmetictreatmentofnormalskin,thefishremovesuperficialscalypatchesthatdevelopon the skinofpatients suffering frompsoriasis andeczema,leavingtheunderlyingskinsurfacesmoothandclearofscale.Thisaction,in combinationwith exposure to sunlight, is considered to bringmedicalbenefitstosomepatients.

Business in the UK

Fish spas developed in the Far East many years ago, later spreading toEuropeandopeningintheUnitedStatesin2008.Theyfirstappearedcom-merciallyintheUnitedKingdominMay2010andthenumberofpremisesquicklyexpandedoverthefollowing12months.Asurveyinthespringof2011identified279fishspasintheUK,withmoreplannedtoopenoverthefollowingmonths.Companiessupplyingfishandmanufacturingtheequip-mentforthesespashavealsobecomeestablishedduringthistime.Duetoconcerns about commercial exploitation and over-harvesting,Garra rufahavebeengivenlegalprotectioninTurkey,althoughmuchofthetradenowcomesfromsuppliersintheFarEast.Thefishareboughtatabout4–6cminsizeandin2011costapproximately£1.40to£2.40each.

In theUK,most fish spas consist of tanks containing about 100 litres ofwater with external canister filtration and ultra-violet sterilization unitsconcealedundertheadjacentseatingarea(Figs1–3).Theserecyclingfiltersystemsmayserviceoneorseveraltanksdependingontheirsizeandcapac-ity,andareoftenstandardcommercialitemsasusedintheaquariumhobby.Theself-containedfishspaunitsareusuallysoldassingleortwinsystemsandcancost£1,500and£2,000respectively.Smallerunits forchildrenorhandmanicuresarealsoavailable.Unitsmaybepurchasedoutrightorleasedthroughsomecompanies.Thestockingdensityinthetanksvariesfrom60to200fishpertank.

W.H. Wildgoose

FIG 1: A fish spa in a shopping arcade.

PROCEEDINGS Fish Veterinary Journal (2012) (13) 3–16


Fishfootspasareofferedasaserviceinbeautysalonswhichmayhaveoneor twounits but are also found indedicatedbusinesseswith several unitsinastand-aloneshop,someofwhichareglamorousup-marketenterprises.Smallmobile units are also located in shoppingmalls and sports centreswherethereisalargecustomerfootfall.In2011,onenationalchainofsalonshadbetween30and40brancheswithmoreplannedtoopen.Thecosttoacustomeratthattimewasabout£1perminute,withlowerratesforlongersessions.

Areas of concern

WhenfishspaswerefirstintroducedintotheUKin2010,therewasmuchpublicityinthepressandonnationaltelevisionaboutthisnovelbeautytreat-ment.Duetotherapiddevelopmentoftheindustryandlackofdocumentedevidenceithasbeendifficulttofullyassessthemainconcernsaboutpublichealthrisksandfishwelfareinabusinessinwhichthereislimitedregulationof its services.The importationof this species fromoutside theEuropeanUnion for non-ornamental use (i.e. spa or medical purposes) requiresauthorisation by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and AquacultureScience(CEFAS)onanannualbasis.Althoughtherearenoofficialcoordi-natedrecordsofthenumberofGarra rufaimportedintotheUKforthefishspa trade,over35,000perweekwere importedat times in2011(CEFAS,personalcommunication).Suchhighnumberssuggestthattherewasarapidexpansionofbusinessesorahighturnoverofstockduetomortalitiessincethenaturallifespanofthisspeciesisthoughttobebetween5–7years.

On 26August 2010, the OrnamentalAquatic TradeAssociation (OATA)issued an advice note to itsmembers advising caution about involvementin this business sector. In July 2011, theRoyalSociety for theProtectionofCruelty toAnimals (RSPCA) issued aLocalGovernmentBrief and inOctober 2011 the FishVeterinary Society published a Briefing StatementontheuseofGarra rufausedinfishspas,whichprimarilyrelatedtofishwelfare.Inadditiontotheseformalpublications,thePractical Fishkeepingmagazine has published articles and used its internet forum to debate theissue. Several other on-lineweb sites such aswww.petforums.co.uk havealsohostedopinionateddiscussions.Therearenowon-linepetitionswhicharecampaigningtostop themisuseofGarra rufa fish,claimingthathun-dredsoffisharesufferinganddying.AfterconcernswereraisedbyLocalAuthorityenvironmentalprotectionofficers andotherhumanhealthagen-

A review of fish welfare and public health concerns about the use of Garrarufa in foot spas

W.H. Wildgoose

FIG 2: Single user fish pedicure systems, with the cover in place over the tank on the left.

FIG 3: The external canister filtration and ultra-violet system is housed under the seating area.


cies,theFishSpaWorkingGrouppublishedtheGuidance on the manage-ment of the public health risks from fish pedicures inOctober2011althoughthisdidnotexaminewelfareissues.Followingpublicationofthisdocument,severalnationalnewspaperspublishedarticleshighlightingthepublichealthriskson18October2011.

Animal welfare legislation

TheAnimalWelfareAct(2006)isthemainpieceoflegislationthataffordsprotectiontoanimalsinEnglandandWalesbygivingthoseresponsibleforanimalsalegaldutyofcare.TheActstatesinSection9,thatitisthedutyofthepersonresponsiblefortheanimalstoensuretheirwelfareandthatitisanoffenceiftheydonottakereasonablestepstoensurethattheneedsofananimalaremet.Subsection2statesthat‘for the purposes of this Act, an animal’s needs shall be taken to include:

a. its need for a suitable environment,

b. its need for a suitable diet,

c. its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns,

d. any need it has to be housed with, or apart from, other animals, and

e. its need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.’

Similar legislationhasnowbeenenacted inothercountries. Interpretationoftheserequirementsrequiresanunderstandingofthenaturalneeds,envi-ronmentandbehaviourofGarra rufafish.Therearemanyfishspaswherethelevelofcareandmanagementisofahighstandardbutequallythereareotherswherestandardsarelessthanideal.Althoughsomesuppliersprovidedetailedcaresheetsforfishbeingusedinfishspas,thereareconcernsthatsomepeoplewiththedailyresponsibilityforthecareofthefishmayhavelimited experience in fish keeping given the primary focus of the beautybusiness.

Need for a suitable environment

Garra rufaarebenthicfish,livingonthebottomandhidingamongtherocksandvegetation.Theyare thought toprefer fastmovingwaterbut theyarealsofoundinsmallpondsandlakes.All fishrequireastableenvironmentwithgoodwaterqualityatthecorrecttemperatureinordertoremainhealthy.

Theirnaturalwatertemperaturerangeissubtropical,varyingfrom15–28°CalthoughtheyalsoliveandbreedinsomeoutdoorthermalspringsinTurkeywherewatertemperaturesmayreach38°C.Onefishsupplier’swebsitesug-geststhatfishareheatedto36–40°CtoverifythattheyareauthenticGarra rufafishandstatingthatotherGarraspecieswillnotsurvivethesetempera-tures–thispracticeshouldbecondemnedonwelfaregroundsbecauseitispotentiallyharmfultothefish.

Infishspas,thewatershouldbewelloxygenated,usingair-pumpsandair-stones.Thefiltrationsystemshouldmaintaingoodwaterquality,freefrompollutionbymetabolicwasteproducts.Regularwaterquality tests shouldbeperformedbypersonnelwithsomeunderstandingof thenitrogencycleand filtrationsystemsothatappropriateactioncanbetakenpromptlyifthewaterqualitydeteriorates.Writtenrecordsmustbekeptwiththelevelsofammonia,nitrite,nitrateandpHasaminimumrequirement.Thefrequencyofthetestswilldependonthestabilityofthesystemandstockingdensity,andmayneedtobedonemorethanoncedaily.Contaminationofthewaterwithfaketan,cosmeticcreams,medicinalproductsand antiseptics must be avoided and the customers’ feet must be thoroughlycleanedanddriedprior to immersion.Waterpollutionbydisinfectantsusedtocleanthetanksmustbeavoided.Theuseofenvironmentalaerosolsandperfumesmustbeminimised,particularlysinceair-bornechemicalsmaybecomeconcen-tratedinthewaterbytheair-pumpsandbecometoxictothefish.

Need for a suitable diet

Garra rufa are omnivorous and naturally feed on aufwuchs, a biofilm oforganismssuchasalgae,planktonandsmall invertebrates that liveon thesubmergedsurfacesinaquaticenvironments.Attimeswhenfoodisscarce,andhumanbathersarepresent,thesefishwillresorttoskin-feedingbehav-iour.Itisdebatablewhethertheyactuallyconsumedeadskinoriftheskinis purely removed during the process of natural foragingwhile searchingforfooditems.Thenutritionalvalueofdeadskin isquestionable,consist-ingprimarilyofkeratin,which is relatively indigestiblecompared to theirnaturaldiet.Consequently,the‘nibbling’behaviourperformedinfootspasisencouragedbyhunger.Moreresearchisrequiredtodetermineasuitablebal-anceddietforthesefishincaptivity.Asacompromise,theyshouldbegivenareputableornamentalfishpelletfood,sufficienttobeeatenintwominutes,twicedaily.Uneatenfoodshouldberemovedtopreventwaterpollutionbutitmayalsoindicateearlysignsofdiseasewithlossofappetite.


W.H. Wildgoose


Need to be housed with or apart from other animals

Thenatureofthefishspabusinessrequiresahighstockingdensityinorderto optimise customer satisfaction. In general, these facilities use only onespecies although in some, other colourful fish such as guppies (Poecilia reticulata)areaddedtomakethetankmorevisuallyappealingtocustomers.Aninappropriatechoiceofspeciesmaycauseadditionalstress.

Need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

Whilemostpeoplemaybesensitivetoanimalsuffering,manymaynotbeabletorecogniseitinfish.Manynewfishkeepersarenotawarethatfishdis-easecanbeinvestigatedprofessionallyorseekprofessionalassistancewhenfishmortalities occur.Despite the detail of some care sheets provided bysomefishsuppliers,itisrareforthemtorecommendthatterminallyillfishshouldbehumanelykilledorthatprofessionalassistanceshouldbeobtained.Consequently,manynewfishkeepersgothroughasteeplearningcurvedur-ingthefirstfewmonths,whenfishmortalitiesinevitablyoccurandprobablygounreported,andfreshstockareaddedtomaintainthepopulation.

Atpresent,fishspasobtainmostoftheirfishhealthadvicefromtheirsup-pliers,whohavealegalobligationtoprovidecorrectcareinformation.Somefishspaownersareformerhobbyistswithsomepersonalfishkeepingexpe-rience.However, professional veterinary involvement in fish spas is verylowandtheauthorreceivedveryfewresponsesfromcolleaguesfollowinganenquiryonBritishandinternationallistservers.Thissuggestedthatvet-erinarysurgeonswererarelyapproachedbyfishspaownersorimportersforprofessionalassistance.

Despite the large size of the fish spa industry, there are very few scientificreportsofdiseaseproblems.HighmortalitiesduetoCitrobacter freundiiwererecordedataprivatefishhatcheryinKorea(Baecket al.2009)andAeromonas sobriafromahatcheryinSlovakia(Majtánet al.2012).Streptococcus agalac-tiae(GroupB)wasidentifiedasthecauseofdeathinrecentlyimportedconsign-mentsintheUKin2011(CEFAS,personalcommunication).Mycobacterium marinumhasalsobeenfoundinonecaseofchronicmortalitiesfromafishspaintheNetherlands(PWerkmann,personalcommunication).GiventhelargenumbersofthesefishimportedintotheUKfornon-ornamentalpurposes,andthefewanecdotalreportsofhighmortalities,itisassumedthatmanydiseaseproblemsarenotprofessionallyinvestigated.

Need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour

These fish are generally considered peaceful schooling fish. The stockingdensityinthesefacilitiesfarexceedsthatwhichexistsinthewild.Itisnotknownwhatimpactthishasonthebehaviourofthefishalthoughthefren-ziedfeedingthatoccursattimeswhencustomersimmersetheirextremitiessuggeststhatthisisunlikelytobenormal(Fig4).Thisisinevitablystressfulfor the fish,and thedegreeofbodycontactbetween fishwill increase thespreadofectoparasites.Ithasbeennotedthatthefishfrequentlyjumpoutofthewater,thereforethetanksmustbecoveredwhennotinusebycustomers.Fishwill occasionallymakedesperate attempts to escape frompoorwaterconditions by jumping and this behaviour may be more significant giventhebenthicnatureofthesefish.Thebareglasstanksinmostfishspasofferlittleopportunityforenvironmentalenrichmentsincethisprimarilyaimstoprovideahygienicenvironmentforcustomers.Equally,thereareseldomoff-showareaswherethefishcanberestedbetweencustomers: longerrestingperiodshavebeenshowntoincreasethelifespanofanimalsintouchpoolsinpublicaquaria(GBurrows,personalcommunication).


FIG 4: Frenzied feeding behaviour following immersion of a user’s finger.

W.H. Wildgoose


Public health aspects

In response topublichealthconcerns, theFishSpaWorkingGroupdevel-opedandpublishedthe‘Guidance on the management of the public health risks from fish pedicures’ (2011).Thisgroupconsistedofexperts fromtheHealth ProtectionAgency (HPA), Health Protection Scotland, the HealthandSafetyLaboratoryandLocalAuthorities.Manyotheragenciesandindi-viduals in theUKalsocontributed, includingCEFAS,RSPCA,OATAandtheFishVeterinarySociety.Thisdetailedandpracticaldocumentprimarilydiscusses public health aspects but acknowledges that concerns about fishwelfarealsoexist.Sincefishspasinvolvetheuseoflivefish,conventionalsterilisationof thefishorenvironment isnotpossiblewithoutharmingthefish. Consequently this ‘special treatment’must be carefullymonitored toensure that staff and customers are protected from infections.At present,thereisnonationallegislationthatcontrolsthesetreatmentsalthoughsomeLondon boroughs are investigating local byelawswhich could be used toallowlicencingfishspasas‘bathtreatments’.

Theguidancehighlightsthevariousroutesoftransmissionofinfectionfromfishtoperson,fromwatertoperson,frompersontopersonviawater,andpersontopersonviasurfacecontact.Thecurrentlackofdocumentedcasesand limited scientific evidence is acknowledged and although the risk ofinfectionisverylow,itcannotbeexcluded.Severaldetailedrecommenda-tionsaremadetohelpspaownerslimittheintroductionorspreadofinfec-tionsincludingthoroughinspectionandcleaningofcustomers’feetbeforeandafter treatment.Despite this, fishspashavebeenbanned inmanyUSstates andCanadian provinces on the grounds of sanitation and concernsaboutanimalwelfare.InGermany,extensiverequirementsincludecertifiedproof that customers are free of specific infectious viruses and bacteria,and that the spashave a specialist vet and an extensivequality assuranceprogramme.

Several zoonotic bacterial infections of fish are reviewed in the guidancebut one of themost common in ornamental fish is mycobacteriosis. Thisuntreatablediseaseisoftenchronicinnatureanddifficulttodiagnoseinlivefish,thereforescreeningisunlikelytobeeffective.Diagnosisofthediseaseindeadfishisequallydifficult,oftenrequiringhistologicalexaminationofseveralorganssincevisualisingcharacteristicgranulomaswiththenakedeyeischallenginginthesesmallfish.Infectionistransmittedtohumansthroughminorabrasionsintheskinbutitmaytakeweeksforclinicalsignstoappear


followingexposure.Diagnosisinhumansisalsoproblematicandtreatmentcantakeseveralmonths,occasionallyrequiringsurgicalintervention.Thesedifficultieshighlightanimportantaspectofonezoonotichazardinfootspasthatcouldbeexacerbatedbyhusbandrystress(Ramsayet al.2009).

Effective sterilisation, namely the destruction of all micro-organisms andresistantspores,inanaquaticenvironmentisoftenlimitedandispotentiallyharmfultothefish.Inadditiontosterilisingthewater,sterilisingthebiofilmonallsubmergedsurfacesisnotpossiblewithouttheuseofchemicalsthataretoxictofish.Equally,theuseofheatsterilisation,aminimumof70°Cforonehour(HPA2011),isharmfultothefishandthebiologicalfilter.Ultraviolet(UV)sterilisersarecommonlyfittedtothepipeworkoffiltrationsys-temsbutthesedonothaveanyeffectonmicrobesonthefishorinthebio-film.TheseunitsoftenuseUVc,themosteffectivegermicidalwavelength,buttheirsterilisingcapacityisinfluencedbyseveralfactorssuchas:

• waterclarity

• waterflowrate

• ageoftheUVlightsource

• UVsourcetopathogendistance

• power/intensityoftheUVsource

• physicalpropertiesofthepathogen

• cleanlinessofthesleevesurroundingtheUVsource

Ingeneral,UVunitsmusthaveaminimumratingof15–25wattstobecon-sideredeffectiveforthe100litretanksusedinfishspas.Insomecases,theunitshavealowerpowerratingandmaygiveusersafalsesenseofsecurityregardingthelevelofsterilityachievedinthefacility.TheUVunitsusedtoclarifythewaterinoutdoorpondsarenoteffectiveatsterilisation.

TheFishSpaWorkingGroupconcludedthattheriskofhumaninfectionasaresultoffishspatreatment‘islikelytobeverylow,butcannotbecompletelyexcluded’.

Human psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease in humans that affects 2–3% of thepopulation, andcauses intense itchingand flaky skin.Themost commonform(plaquepsoriasis)appearsasredandwhitescalypatchesontheskin.

W.H. Wildgoose


Itcanaffectanypartofthebody,includingthescalp,andmayalsoaffectthe fingernails and joints.The disease is often chronic and recurring butnot contagious. The cause is not fully understood but thought to have ageneticcomponentandaggravatedbyenvironmentalfactorssuchasstressandseasonalchanges.Severecaseshaveanegativephysicalandpsycho-logicalimpactonaffectedindividuals,whichaffectstheirqualityoflife.Atpresent,thereisnocureanditisconsideredalife-longdisease.Thereareseveralmedicaltreatmentsusedtocontrolandmanagethedisorder,includ-ingphototherapywithcontrolledexposure toultraviolet radiation.Therearetworeportsoffishspasusedinthetreatmentofpatientswithpsoriasis(Özceliket al.2000,Grassberger&Hoch2006)inwhichimprovementwasnotedbut thismayhavebeen influencedbyconcurrentphototherapyandtheeffectofnaturalsunlight.However,advicefromtheFishSpaWorkingGroupisthatsufferersarelikelytobeatanincreasedriskofinfectionandthatthistreatmentisnotrecommendedandshouldnotbepromotedtothisgroupofpatients.

Other areas of concern

Therehavebeenseveralcommonlyusedstatementsmadeinadvertisingoffishspasthatsuggestmedicalbenefitstousers.Someofthesearequestion-ableand there is limitedscientificevidence tosupport them.SomeclaimsstatethatGarra rufa‘secreteanaturalenzymeintheirsalivacalleddiathanolthathelpsnewskingrow’.Althoughitisunproventhatthisspeciesproducessaliva,fishdonotingeneralpossesstruesalivaryglandsandarethereforeunlikely to produce saliva, themain purpose of which is tomoisten andlubricatefood.Onlyafewspeciesofanimals,ofwhichManisone,secreteenzymes in their saliva. Diathanol is a redundant name used in Germanorganicchemistry in scientific literatureupuntil the1960s:at the timeofwriting,theonlyreferencestothetermwhensearchedbyGoogleappearonfishspawebsites.

Otherclaimsmaderefertothefishstimulatingacupuncturepoints,helpingto regulate the nervous system and improve circulation. Several fish spaweb sites state that the fish in their systems ‘cannot transfer anydiseasesto humans’ although this route of infection is highlighted in the guidancepublishedbytheFishSpaWorkingGroup.Othermisleadingmedicalinfor-mationisnotuncommondespitetherebeingalackofclearevidenceofanytherapeuticbenefit.


Aswithallanimals, theircaremustextendoverperiodswhen the facilityorshopisclosedduringweekendsandpublicholidays.Equallysomeprovi-sionshouldbemadein theeventofelectricalpowersupplyfailureduetotheirdependenceonthelifesupportsystems,particularlywhentheyareleftunattended.IntheUK,thereisstrictlegislationcontrollingthedisposalofmortalitieswhichwillbecoveredunderhazardousorspecialwasteregula-tionsandisaimedatprotectingpublichealthandtheenvironment.

The industry in 2012

FollowingthepublicationofguidancebytheFishSpaWorkingGroupandsubsequentnationalcoverageinthemediaon18October2011,thefishspaindustryhashadalowerpublicprofile.Severalfishspasalonshaveclosedfor various reasons including financial difficulties.This has led to furtherconcernregardingthefateofthefishintheseestablishmentsandprovisionsneedtobeconsiderednow.

ThenaturallifespanofGarra rufaisthoughttobe5–7yearsandduetothelargenumbersthatwereimportedintotheUKinthelast18monthsitremainsto be seen if the fish can be adequately rehomedwithin the industry. Priorto the interest in fish spas,Garra rufawere imported into theUK in smallnumbers for theornamental trade.Thereareopportunities for thefish toberehomedtoprivatehobbyistsorpublicaquariaalthoughtheirrelativelydullcoloursandpeacefulbehaviourmayhavelimitedappeal.Commercially,itisunlikelythatthesefishwillbere-exportedbacktotheircountryoforigin,letalonebereleasedtorestocktheirnaturalenvironment,anactionwhichcouldhavemajorecologicalconsequences.UndertheWildlifeandCountrysideAct(1981)andSalmonandFreshwaterFisheriesAct(1975)itisillegalforthesenon-nativefishtobereleasedintothewildintheUK,eventhoughwatertem-peraturesareconsiderably lower than in theircountryoforigin.The impactofillegalreleaseofthesefishintoUKwatersmayneedtobefullyassessed.

The greatest concern relates to fish thatmay be neglected and left to diethrough starvation or deteriorating water quality since they have a lowfinancialvaluebutrequireasignificantlevelofmaintenance.Itisnotethi-callyacceptabletoeuthanasethesefishonanygroundsotherthantoavoidsufferingbutthisissuemayneedtobeaddressedinsomecasesinthefuture.Themethodbywhichthisisperformedshouldonlybebyoverdosewithanacceptablefishanaestheticandnotbyflushinglivefishdownthetoiletorfreezingtheminadomesticfreezerunit.

W.H. Wildgoose


Conclusion

It has been interesting to observe the rapid development of the fish spaindustrybutseveralaspectsofthisnovelbusinesshavegivencauseforcon-cern,particularly in theareasofpublichealthandfishwelfare.However,theseconcernsshouldbeaddressedinapositiveandpro-activemannersothatwecandevelopagreaterunderstandingoftheissuesinvolvedthrougha detailed scientific approach. Despite the lack of legislation controllingtheindustry,theconcernsaboutfishwelfareareadequatelycoveredundertheAnimalWelfareAct(2006)andsimilarlegislationinothercountries.ItisimportantthatLocalAuthorityanimalwelfareofficersvisitandinspectalltheseestablishmentstoensurethatthebasicneedsofthefisharebeingadequately met and seek specialist advice where necessary. Detailedwritten records of stock purchases, mortalities, water quality results andhealthproblemsmustbekeptbythebusinessownersandbeavailableforinspection.Agreaterdegreeofprofessionalfishhealthinvestigationisnowrequiredsothatwecanavoidmajorproblemsandprovideadequatesupporttotheindustry.

References and further reading

BaeckG.W.,Kim J.H.,ChorescaC.,GomezD.K., ShinS.P.,Han J.E.&ParkS.E.(2009)Massmortalityofdoctorfish(Garra rufa obtusa)caused by Citrobacter freundii infection. Journal of Veterinary Clinics 26(2)150–4

Grassberger M. & Hoch W. (2006) Ichthyotherapy as alternative treat-ment for patients with psoriasis: a pilot study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine3(4)483–8

MajtánJ.,ČernyJ.,OfúkanáA.,TakáčP.&KozánekM.(2012)Mortalityof therapeutic fishGarra rufa caused byAeromonas sobria.Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine85–7

Ozçelik.S,PolatH.H.,AkyolM.,YalcinA.N.,OzçelikD.&MarufihahM.(2000)Kangalhotspringwithfishandpsoriasistreatment.Journal of Dermatology27(6)386-90

RamsayJ.M.,WatralV.,SchreckC.B.&KentM.L.(2009)Husbandrystressexacerbatesmycobacterial infection in adult zebrafish,Danio rerio(Hamilton).Journal of Fish Diseases32(11)931–41


AnimalWelfareAct2006:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/contents

SalmonandFreshwaterFisheriesAct1975:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1975/51

WildlifeandCountrysideAct1981:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69

HealthProtectionAgency–FishSpaWorkingGroup(2011)Guidanceonthemanagementofthepublichealthrisksfrompedicures

http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1317131045549

FishVeterinarySociety(2011)BriefingstatementonGarrarufausedinfishspas http://www.fishvetsociety.org.uk/index.php?option=com_

content&view=article&id=83:garra-rufa-briefing&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=70(October2011)

OrnamentalAquaticTradeAssociationhttp://www.ornamentalfish.org

RSCPA(2011)localgovernmentbrief http://www.politicalanimal.org.uk/RSPCA/Dr%20Fish%20

Briefing%2007.2011.pdf

William Wildgoose graduated from Glasgow Veterinary School in 1977 and has worked in small animal practice in London since then. He has a special interest in exotic pets and ornamental fish in particular, and obtained his RCVS Certificate in Fish Health and Production in 1997. He was a contribu-tor and the editor of the second edition of the BSAVA Manual of Ornamental Fish in 2001.

W.H. Wildgoose

This paper is based on a presentation given at themeeting of the FishVeterinarySocietyinEdinburghon27March2012.Itwassubmittedforpublicationon6March2012andacceptedon4April2012.

a review of fish welfare and public health concerns ... · introduction garra rufa are freshwater...

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