Presenter: Spike Cover Date: June 27, 2008

1. Presenter: Spike Cover Date: June 27, 2008

2. Koi DealerBest Health Practices Certification Program What the heck is it?

3. Koi Dealers • Not hobbyists • Not breeders or farmers • Not grow-out facilities • But KOI DEALERS – retail & wholesale

4. Best Health Practices • Best = best practical, but not perfect • Health = koi health • Practices = consistent and controlled way of doing things

5. Certification Program • Certification = verification • Program = organized endeavor

6. Put it all together • Organized endeavor • Koi Dealers • Practically control fish health • Certified = verified

7. BHP

8. What’s the BHP trying to do? Stop KHV disease at the dealer level So KHV disease is not passed on to hobbyist

9. Is this possible? • Not completely (in practical sense) • So why do it at all? • Stopping some KHV is better than stopping none • It’s possible to intercept and stop all ACTIVE KHV DISEASE (KHVD)

10. Andy Goodwin (I love this guy!) …With many things, it is easy to reduce the risk by 95%, but really hard to reduce it by 99%. Some folks argue that if there are any leaks at all, the whole thing is not worth doing. The more practical amongst us recognize that reducing risk by 95% is a very real benefit…

11. Why can’t we stop it all? • Latency = carriers

12. Can we find the carriers? • Probably yes • How? • Antibodies • Serum Neutralization – looks for antibody effect • ELISA – look for the antibodies • So ………………………….

13. Why not test? • Testing is relatively expensive • So why not just sample test? • What sample size is meaningful?

14. Huh?

15. Now this we can understand…

16. So how much is it? • Serum neutralization - $20 per test at UGA + blood draw + vet fee + shipping • ELISA - $25 per test at UC Davis + blood draw + local vet fee + shipping + $30 UC Davis vet fee

17. Sampling cost example…. • Number of koi in “the batch” = 250 • Estimated incidence of latent KHV = 2% • Number of samples required = 110 (from chart for 95% confidence) • Serum neutralization testing = 110 fish x $20 = $2,200 or $8.80 / fish

18. Is lesser sampling an option? • Sure – but with lesser confidence • In the example, sampling 5 fish is virtually meaningless for untested fish unless latency is a very high percentage

19. When should we test? • Whenever it makes economic sense • Probably not on “cheap fish” • Probably so on “not-cheap fish” • If and whenever an owner requests testing – included in the price

20. Meanwhile………… Back at the ranch……….

21. Who’s doing the BHP? • Project KHV is sponsor & management • BHP authors group – (alpha order) • Jerry Heidel, DVM, PhD • Tim Miller-Morgan, DVM • Denise Petty, DVM • Allen Riggs, DVM • Richard Strange, PhD

22. What are BHP goals? • Voluntary system in willing koi dealerships that will, • Stop KHVD before it enters the retail stocks • So not passed on to hobbyists

23. Goals (cont.) • Independent verification – by vets • Certificate issued – by vets • Ongoing reporting and inspections • Recertification withcontinued compliance

24. Questions we’ve heard …. • Who wants this program? • Aren’t dealer the better choice to do a program? • Why are hobbyists involved? • Why try to force dealers to do this? • Why are KHA being suggested to be the overseers?

25. Who wants it? • Market research – late ‘06 to early ‘07 • 50 US koi dealers • 20 US veterinarians • 75% of the dealers liked it • 100% of the vets liked it

26. What about a Dealer program? • A dealer generated program would be preferable • There is no similar program by Dealers and none is planned • A good program takes ~ 3 years

27. Why are hobbyists involved? • Dealers didn’t do it • Vets didn’t do it • Hobbyists jumped in to simply …. GET IT DONE • Project KHV is already planning an exit • Once it’s well started – hobbyists will leave

28. Hobbyists’ involvement (cont.) • Veterinarians are writing the program • Dealers and Vets are Beta testing BHP • Vets & dealers will “cut their own deals” • Vets seen as final program management

29. Why force the dealers? • BHP will be an all-voluntary program • Everyone is free to participate or not – Dealers and Vets • Hopefully hobbyists will apply pressure from “bottom up” • BTW, Project KHV will GIVE the basic BHP to vets that agree to not to certify non-compliant dealers

30. KHAs as reviewers? • One of those internet speculations that gained a life of its own • KHAs will NOT be involved • Veterinarians will be the independent third party reviewers/certifiers

31. What’s the BHP status? • Base document nearly complete thru 1st draft • Online course for certifying vets started June 21st ~ 10 to 12 vets in the course • Dealer Beta test sites identified ~ 15 dealers • Legal review underway

32. Just for gee whiz…

33. Down the road….. • Start Beta testing (dealers) ~ mid-July • Finish Beta testing ~ Sept ‘08 • Collect feedback and start BHP modifications ~ thru end of ’08 • Finish modifications and start final reviews ~ 1st Qtr ’09 • Wrap up & National release ~ 2nd Qtr ‘09

34. Summary • BHP goal = stop KHVD at the dealer • Koi Dealers only – Totally voluntary • Veterinarians write the program • Veterinarians certify compliance • Hobbyists exit after good start • Provides a basis for better all around koi health at dealers

35. QUESTIONS? Thank you…….

36. The end……………..