A necropsy-based health care system was established for a commercial catfish farm, Mid-South Aquifarms, Montgomery, Alabama and for several tropical fish farms in Hillsborough County, Florida. During implementation of the health care system at the commercial farm loss through death of catfish was reduced by 85% (Jan-May, 1992) compared to the same 6 month period of the previous year (Jan-May, 1991). The health care system in Florida is still on-going, but significant savings have been realized. At the commercial farm values for condition factor (Kn), gallbladder color as an indication of feeding activity, microbiological examinations, packed cell volume, and plasma protein concentration were collected and compared with those of the natural population or to those in the literature to assess the health of each population of fish sampled. In Hillsborough County parasitological examinations and bacteriological cultures were used to assess the health of the fish.

A model of the process involved in economic decisions when treating for disease was also developed. The examples in this model evaluate therapeutics used in the treatment of four parasitic infestations and some bacteriological infections. Included in this example are the value of each of the potential treatment outcomes, the cost to reach each of those outcomes and the probability of reaching that outcome.