Molecular techniques are potentially faster and more sensitive than culture, serology, and histology methods that are traditionally used to identify fish pathogens. During the last 15 years or so, molecular techniques have been increasingly employed to diagnose fish diseases. These techniques include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction enzyme digestion, probe hybridization, in situ hybridization, and microarray. Pathogens can be detected from asymptomatic fish by molecular diagnostic techniques so disease outbreak could be prevented. Thus antibiotic treatment can be reduced so that creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria may be eliminated. In this paper molecular techniques for detection of fish pathogens are reviewed and the potential for their application are discussed. The application of new techniques as a routine tool in a diagnostic laboratory is an area where relevant literature is scarce and this may contribute to the reticence of some to adopt these methods.

Molecular techniques are potentially faster and more sensitive than culture, serology, and histology methods that are traditionally used to identify fish pathogens. During the last 15 years or so, molecular techniques have been increasingly employed to diagnose fish diseases. These techniques include polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction enzyme digestion, probe hybridization, in situ hybridization, and microarray. Pathogens can be detected from asymptomatic fish by molecular diagnostic techniques so disease outbreak could be prevented. Thus antibiotic treatment can be reduced so that creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria may be eliminated. In this paper molecular techniques for detection of fish pathogens are reviewed and the potential for their application are discussed. The application of new techniques as a routine tool in a diagnostic laboratory is an area where relevant literature is scarce and this may contribute to the reticence of some to adopt these methods.