Water moulds are widespread fungus-like freshwater microbes, and particularly the Saprolegnia sp. cause serious problems in the salmonids farming worldwide. In addition, mass mortalities of wild salmonids have been observed, presumably partly caused by water mould.
At the moment, there are no sufficiently effective treatment methods or sufficiently fast and accurate detection methods for water mould, which complicates its control and treatment. Very little is also known about the virulence of water mould.
The Veterinary Bacteriology and Pathology Unit of the Finnish Food Authority studies water mould in a joint project with Åbo Akademi and the University of Jyväskylä, and the results can be used to develop control and treatment methods for the disease in fish farms.
Read the project description The significance of bacteria in the occurrence of water moulds, and the detection of water moulds and bacteria through PCR methods