The Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute is the lead centre for disease research and diagnosis for the 
Department of Fisheries of Thailand

The Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute (AAHRI) was eslablished from the Fish Disease Unit of the National Inland Fisheries Institute (NIFI) in 1992. During early15 years within NIFI, the Fish Disease Unit had obtained extra support from various international agencies including FAO,UNDP,USAID,CIDA and IDRC to improve laboratory facilities and human resources. In 1990, the Overseas Development Administration (ODA) of the United Kingdom, presently known as the Department for International Development (DFID), recognized a potential of the Fish Disease Unit for a centre of aquatic disease research of the South East Asia . Subsequently, AAHRI was established in early 1992 and has carried on its premises to the present. Staffs are encouraged to expand their knowledge as well as the laboratory facilities are improved to meet a research requirement.

 AAHRI is a research institute of the Thai Department of Fisheries responsible for research relating to diseases of economically important aquatic animal species. The researches are aimed to fish diseases with particular aspects on diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control. New technology is continuously developed and transferred to Thai scientists and farmers by training and distributing publications. A number of workshops have also been conducted to the scientists in the South East Asian region. Furthermore AAHRI serves a public with aquatic animal clinic and also undertakes consultancy work to fish farmers. As a competent authority, AAHRI is responsible for issuing health certificates for live aquatic animal exportation.

AAHRI has a close contact to a number of international institutes including Stirling University (UK), the Czechoslovakia Academy of Science (Czechoslovakia), UPM (Malaysia), and Control Univ. RIA (Vietnam). Joint projects have been established among the institutes. AAHRI also has a strong collaborative with Aquaculture Department of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), the Network of Aquaculture Centres of Asia Pacific (NACA), Food and Aqriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Australian Council for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)

AAHRI is housed in 3 buildings located in Kasetsart University Campus in Bangkok. The main one is a two-story building where the ground floor comprises laboratories equipped with the necessary scientific equipment for research and diagnosis of fish diseases and fish holding facilities, while the upper floor contains an office, conference room fitted with audio-visual teaching aids, comprehensive library, and fully equipped photo-developed room. The other two are one-story buildings, housing for laboratories, and storage rooms.

This unit is responsible for producing histology sections of aquatic animal tissues affected by diseases. These are used for identifying the causative agents of diseases and for research on the effects of pathogens and abiotic factors on aquatic animals.

A variety of immunological-based research projects have been conducted in this unit, including monoclonal antibody and vaccine development. Monoclonal antibodies have been developed to provide probes for the rapid diagnosis of fish diseases, and as tools for testing fish immune response. The laboratory is well equipped to carry out many immunological-based techniques, including enzyme linked immunosorbent assay,Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and indirect fluorescent antibody technique. DNA-based research has also been conducted,with recent projects on mycobacteria monitoring and epidemiology.

Mycology is a relatively new field for fish disease workers in Asia. This area has received more attention following the isolation of a pathogenic fungus from fish suffering from the disease epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS). Researchs are conducted on fungus characterisation and pathogenicity as well as treatment and prevention. AAHRI is presently an OIE reference laboratory for EUS.

The aquatic animal clinic is opened five days a week to serve fish farmers, fish exporter and fish fancier. We also examine exporting fish for health certification. Both services are provided free of charge. Staffs often visit fish farms at the farmer request to provide further advice on disease prevention and health management.

AAHRI arranges workshops and training to local fish farmers and students more than a thousand per year. Local and regional researchers are welcome to utilise the laboratory facilities. Training courses in shrimp health management are annually organised in collaboration with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) and the University of Stirling. We also offer aquatic animal disease training upon request.

Scientific outputs from AAHRI are published in national and international journals. In house publications including Aquatic Animal Diseases Newsletter (published in thai), AAHRI Newsletter, Histology of Snakehead Fish, a Manual of Hybrid Catfish Husbandry and Health, Histology of the Walking Catfish, Health Management in Shrimp Ponds, Fish Disease Dictionary, Pathology and Histopathology of Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS), Technical Handbook Diagnostic Procedures for Finfish Diseases, Disease manuals for farmers, and posters of aquatic animal disease posters.