Aquatic health
Main laboratory Pullman
Aquatic Health
Health screening and diagnostic testing for marine and freshwater fish
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Aquatic Health

Hours (PST): 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon deliveries only
Closed Sundays
Contact us 509-335-9696 or waddl@vetmed.wsu.edu
Mailing address: P.O. Box 647034 Pullman, WA 99164-7034
Directions

Our lab offers a wide variety of health screening/inspection/certification testing and diagnostic tests for marine and freshwater fish, including aquaculture and ornamental species.  

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Lab contacts

Featured health topics

  • New options for Aquatic Histopathology testing WADDL will now be offering two options for aquatic histopathology testing. Clients can choose Aquatic Histopathology, Urgent with a 7-business day turnaround time for high-priority diagnostic cases or Aquatic Histopathology, Standard with a 28-day turnaround time for routine submissions. This is reflected in our updated Aquatic Health Accession Form. This new system will allow WADDL […]
  • Testing fish for international movement Producers and veterinarians exporting aquatic animals internationally must use USDA-APHIS approved laboratories to conduct their certification testing. WADDL’s Aquatic Health Laboratory is approved by USDA-APHIS to conduct diagnostic testing in support of export health certification of aquaculture species. Why perform health certification testing for international export at WADDL? Producers across the United States use WADDL […]
  • Testing fish for interstate movement Producers moving fish between states are often required to test their fish for pathogens of concern. WADDL’s Aquatic Health Laboratory performs high-quality fish health certification testing for clients that meets the testing methods required by state fish health regulators. Why perform fish health certification testing at WADDL? Producers across the United States use WADDL for […]
  • Aquatic species: Diagnostic testing Clients not only receive high-quality test results tailored to aquatic species when they test with WADDL, they also are able to consult WADDL’s team of veterinarians and veterinary pathologists who have production, clinical, and diagnostic experience working with aquatic species.

  • Piscirickettsia salmonis, “Piscirickettsiosis” What is it? Piscirickettsia salmonis is a bacterium that causes piscirickettsiosis. This disease can cause high mortality in salmon that live in a marine environment. It is a pathogen of concern for many international fish health regulatory authorities, and it is common to test fish for this bacterium as part of export certification testing. P. […]
  • Aeromonas salmonicida, “Furunculosis” What is it? Aeromonas salmonicida is a bacterium that causes the disease commonly referred to as “furunculosis” in fish. This disease can cause high mortality, particularly in salmon/trout and koi. It is a pathogen of concern for many state and international fish health regulatory authorities, and it is common to test fish for this bacterium […]
  • Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus: Certification and diagnostic testing What is infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNv) in fish? Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNv) infects fish across the world and is one of the most common viruses for which fish health regulators require testing. It is regularly detected in wild salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest and is endemic to the United States. IHNv can […]

  • Piscirickettsia salmonis tissue collection This video explains how to collect samples for Piscirickettsia salmonis tissue imprint examination Collection Materials: Glass microscope slides Clean forceps Gauze Alcohol and flame Slide storage container Procedure: Use clean forceps to gently dab a pea-sized fresh kidney sample onto a sterile gauze pad to remove excess blood/fluid; if there is too much blood/fluid on […]

Externship

WADDL offers opportunities through the Pacific Northwest Salmonid Veterinary Externship Program, which exposes students interested in aquacultural medicine to a variety of salmon and trout hatcheries, natural resource agencies, aquatic health professionals, and fish diagnostic laboratories within the Pacific Northwest.

Aquatic Health Inspection Testing

Turnaround time for all health inspections is 29 days based on the virology testing requirements set forth in the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals and the AFS-USFWS Blue Book.

We strongly recommend two to four weeks advanced notice for scheduling purposes on all health inspection samplings.  Call 509-335-9696 or send an email to set up scheduling.