Q. What's this site about?

A. FishPathogens.net is a source of information on disease-causing agents of fish. These pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi and micro- and macro-parasites. This atlas includes over 400 images of pathogens, hosts, and field localities where they were collected.

Q. Can I eat fish I catch in my local river?

A. There are state guidelines for many areas, and in general there are often advisories against consuming fish that live their whole lives in water bodies where they can accumulated biotoxins that are harmful to humans. For Oregon, the OHA has info at their website. Generally OHA does not recommend eating fish from the Lower Willamette including carp, bullhead, crappie, and bass.

Q. There's something funny on my fish that I couldn't identify looking at your site - can you help me identify it?

A. Maybe. Use the "Ask an expert" link to contact us. Attach an image if you've got one.

Q. I have some cool images, can I add them to your database?

A. Yes! We welcome public contributions to the database. You can submit images using the "Ask an expert" link or send directly to the address below.

Q. Who manages FishPathogens.net?

A. FishPathogens.net began in 2014 as a joint venture between the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State University, funded by the ODFW Sports Fish Restoration Program (which is supported by both USFWS and ODFW). From 2018 it is being expanded under a USDA Capacity Building Grant in collaboration with Kentucky State University, and ongoing support of ODFW.

Q. I have a question/correction/bug with the website - how do I contact the site admin team?

A. Please email Dr Stephen Atkinson: atkinsos@oregonstate.edu

Q. I want to know more! Can you suggest some other websites for me to visit?

A. For more information, see these web links:

WEB LINKS 

para-site http://parasite.org.au Provides basic information about parasites that cause disease in animals and people.

fishbase http://www.fishbase.in Is a global database of all fish species, both freshwater and marine.

fishpathogens.eu http://www.fishpathogens.eu Is a database of samples and sequences for viruses, currently VHSV and IHNV.

Alaska Fish & Game http://www.adfg.alaska.gov Has comprehensive information on parasites and diseases of animals in Alaska.