Fish lice and the Koi herpesvirus disease are suspected to be the culprit behind mass die-off of fish populations in some carp farms in the Jordan Valley region, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement Wednesday.
In its statement, the ministry did not rule out the possibility that the problem, which appeared four days ago in specific farms that depend exclusively on the waters of the Jordan River, has developed into an epidemic.
The ministry stated that preliminary examinations revealed that the carp fish were infected with parasites (carp lice), and showed symptoms indicating that they were infected with Koi herpesvirus disease, which is blamed for similar die-offs in fish farms in some neighboring countries.
The ministry stressed that this disease cannot be transmitted to humans and does not pose any danger to human health, even if infected fish are consumed.
The ministry promised a program to manage the disease and limit its damage in the short, medium and long term, noting that the minister had issued orders to facilitate the import of any treatments or antibiotics to address this disease.
Source: Jordan News Agency