JAUNDICE DISEASE IN THE FARMED CATFISH HYBRID, CLARIAS-MACROCEPHALUS (GUNTHER) X C-GARIEPINUS (BURCHELL), IN THAILAND

In recent years, jaundice disease in farmed hybrid catfish in Thailand has caused high levels of mortalities. Affected fish are lethargic an d anorexic and show yellow pigmentation of the skin and gills. Interna lly, the spleen, kidney and gall bladder are enlarged, and the spleen, kidney, liver and body fat are a pale yellow colour. Most fish contai n a yellow ascitic fluid in their abdomen. Histological ''amination of tissues from diseased fish revealed heavy deposits of haemosiderin an d ceroid in the spleen, kidney and liver. Haematological measurements showed that haematocrit values, RBC count, haemoglobin concentration, MCH and MCHC were significantly decreased in affected fish while MCV, total bilirubin and direct reacting bilirubin were significantly incre ased. The results indicate that the fish are suffering from a haemolyt ic anaemia associated with lipoid liver degeneration. The disease is t hought to be due to the feeding of rancid chicken viscera.