"Bacterial Diseases of Koi" Course Syllabus

Outline:

1.0 Introduction

1.1 What are Bacteria

1.2 Pathogenic vs. Nonpathogenic Bacteria

1.3 Environmental Conditions Affect Bacteria

1.4 Stress Promotes Bacterial Disease

1.5 Antibacterial Agents

1.5.1 Antibiotics

1.5.2 Disinfectants

2.0 Basics of Microbiology

2.1 Aeseptic Bacterial Isolation

2.2 Growth Media

2.3 Incubation

2.4 Stains

2.5 How Confirmed Diagnoses Are Made

2.6 Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing

3.0 Working with Bacteria

3.1 Understanding and Using Clinical Signs

3.2 Shipping Samples for Testing

3.3 Non-lethal Bacterial Isolation and External Examination

3.3.1 Isolations from Skin and Lesions

3.3.2 External Examination

3.4 Lethal Bacterial Isolations and Internal Examination

3.4.1 solation from Internal Tissues

3.4.2 Blood Sampling

3.4.3 Internal Examination

3.5 Learning to Gram Stain

3.6 Using the Microscope as a Diagnostic Tool

4.0 Common Bacterial Diseases of Koi

4.1 Motile Aeromonads

4.2 Aeromonas salmonicida

4.3 Pseudomonas

4.4 The Flavobacterium Complex

4.4.1 Flavobacterium columnare

4.4.2 Flavobacterium psychrophilus

4.4.3 Flavobacterium branchiophilis

4.5 Fungal Diseases

4.5.1 Overview

4.5.2 Saprolegniasis

4.5.3 Branchiomycosis

5.0 Making a Preliminary Diagnosis

5.1 Approach

5.2 Scenarios #1- #4

6.0 Control and Treatment

6.1 Preventative Medicine

6.2 Reduce or Eliminate Pathogenic Bacteria

6.3 Prevent Bacteria from Entering Koi

6.4 Vaccination

6.5 Immunostimulants

6.6 Treatments

6.6.1 Overview

6.6.2 Disinfectants

6.6.3 Debriding and Disinfecting Ulcers

6.6.4 Antibiotic Treatments

6.6.5 Specific Antibiotics

Glossary:

Assignments and Tests:

The course text is a CD developed by Richard Strange, Ph.D. containing 6 chapters which will be mailed to you. This material will be covered in three weeks. Every week, the student will need to master the material in two chapters and email Professor Strange the written assignment at the end of each chapter. Questions and discussion will take place on the forum. After all of the material has been covered and discussed, a final exam will be posted. The test will be open book, but should represent only your thinking.

How and When to Contact the Instructor:

In general the course will be conducted on a K.O.I. forum where students can post questions. Most correspondence between the student and instructor will be shared on the Forum. This is a virtual classroom environment and this is how information is exchanged. There are generally a lot of questions and discussion.

Questions can be emailed to the instructor. If a student requests that certain information be kept confidential, then it will be re-phrased and presented it to the class, if pertinent, but will respect the anonymity of the student.

Completion requirements:

To complete the course, the final exam must be emailed to the instructor by the specified date. If additional time is needed, you must arrange this with the instructor.

Date for Completion:

Date specified by the instructor

Grading Policy:

This course will be graded on a "pass/try again" basis. Students will be given every reasonable opportunity to understand the answers to the exam questions. Students will be prompted for a more complete answer if their first attempt is insufficient. It is expected that everyone will master the material and get a certificate of completion.

Ethics and Rules that Apply to this Course:

The K.O.I. policy in regards to the student code of conduct is clear. Cheating will not be tolerated. Students will be failed if they cheat. For those seeking certification, cheating or serious legal violations (relative to the activities with K.O.I.) will be grounds for non-certification or decertification.