Bacterial kidney disease is one of the most welfare-damaging chronic infections in salmonid aquaculture, requiring integrated prevention and management strategies.
BKD welfare impact is distinctive because the disease is chronic and insidious — fish may suffer for months with progressive internal organ damage before clinical signs are obvious. The welfare imperative is early detection through broodstock PCR screening, combined with selective use of resistant genetic lines where available. Welfare monitoring on BKD-endemic farms should include regular organ scoring at sampling and mortality pattern analysis to detect subclinical disease before it reaches clinical thresholds.