FISH AND OTHER AQUATIC ANIMAL KILLS - CAUSES AND RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC-HEALTH FOR MILITARY HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONALS

Environmental contamination is a public health issue. Fish or other aq uatic animal kills can be a sign that contamination of the aquatic env ironment has occurred. They are highly visible to the public. When suc h kills occur in water bodies on military installations, medical perso nnel are often involved in the investigation to assess the public heal th implications of the kill or its causes. This article discusses the causes of aquatic animal kills, describes a proper response to a kill, and gives several case studies.