Henneguya ictaluri

ALSO KNOWN AS: Hamburger Disease

Henneguya ictaluri is a myxozoan parasite known to infect channel catfish, leading to a condition colloquially referred to as “hamburger disease.” The infection is characterized by the formation of cysts in the musculature, which can degrade the quality of the fish fillet.

Distribution: North America
Detection Methods: Gross pathology / gross clinical signs, Microscopic exam – wet mount, Microscopic exam – histology, PCR – unspecified
Hosts: Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
Target Tissue: Gills