Sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax nervous necrosis virus isolates with distinct pathogenicity to sea bass larvae.

Reproduction of nodavirus disease was performed by experimental infection of sea bass eggs during fertilization or at larval stage 4 with 2 genetically distinguishable nodavirus strains (Sb1 and Sb2) isolated from sea bass collected along the Atlantic and Mediterranean French coast. The pathogenicity of the virus strains was assigned after detection of the virus by ELISA and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The Atlantic (Sb1) strain was more pathogenic than the Mediterranean (Sb2) strain during the fertilization step whilst both strains were pathogenic following experimental exposure of 4 d old larvae. Virus lesions developed in the brain 4 to 6 d following experimental exposure. Experimental ELISA proved very sensitive for detecting the nodavirus in Sb1 or Sb2 experimentally infected larvae, as well as in naturally infected sea bass larvae collected in French hatcheries or in barramundi larvae reared in the Pacific area. The development of an ELISA specific for the 2 nodavirus strains isolated from the sea bass should be useful for the detection of the virus, in addition to other techniques recommended by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE).     

Isolation of enterotoxigenic, hemolytic, and antibiotic-resistant Aeromonas hydrophila strains from infected fish in Bangladesh

Strains of Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from skin infections of common freshwater fish in Bangladesh were tested for enterotoxin production, hemolysin production, and any correlation between these two activities. We also tested the resistance patterns of A. hydrophila to different drugs, especially in relation to ampicillin. The A. hydrophila strains produced an enterotoxin that was related to their beta-hemolytic activities. Production of beta-hemolysin may thus be an indicator of enterotoxicity. As 50% of the strains of A. hydrophila were found to be susceptible to 12.5 micrograms of ampicillin per ml, media containing this antibiotic may not be suitable for their isolation.     

Nodavirus infection causes mortalities in hatchery produced larvae of Lates calcarifer: first report from India

Larvae (15 to 21 d post hatch, dph) of the Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer (Bloch) suffered heavy mortalities (60 to 90%) during the hatchery-rearing phase. Darkened and moribund larvae showed no evidence of bacterial or parasitic infections. Tissue sections of brain and spinal cord showed clear necrotic vacuolation. Electron microscopy revealed membrane-bound viral particles in the cytoplasm of the nerve cells. The viral particles measured 28 to 30 nm in diameter. Primer sets, designed for the amplification of the RNA2 segment of the piscine nodavirus coat protein gene, were used in the RT-PCR analysis of moribund larvae of 20 and 21 dph which produced the amplified product of 430 bp. The clinical manifestations, pathology and electron microscopy observations supported by the RT-PCR analysis suggest that the nerve necrosis was due to nodavirus infection in the larvae. This is the first report of piscine nodavirus infection from the Indian sub-continent.     

Isolation of enterotoxigenic, hemolytic, and antibiotic-resistant Aeromonas hydrophila strains from infected fish in Bangladesh.

Strains of Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from skin infections of common freshwater fish in Bangladesh were tested for enterotoxin production, hemolysin production, and any correlation between these two activities. We also tested the resistance patterns of A. hydrophila to different drugs, especially in relation to ampicillin. The A. hydrophila strains produced an enterotoxin that was related to their beta-hemolytic activities. Production of beta-hemolysin may thus be an indicator of enterotoxicity. As 50% of the strains of A. hydrophila were found to be susceptible to 12.5 micrograms of ampicillin per ml, media containing this antibiotic may not be suitable for their isolation.     

Relationship of season, thermal loading and red-sore disease with various haematological parameters in Micropterus salmoides

One hundred and fifty largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were caught during the mid-winter and mid-summer months in Par Pond, an 1120 ha cooling reservoir located on Savannah River Plant near Aiken, SC. Equal numbers of fish were taken from ambient and thermally altered (> 10° C ambient) areas of the lake. The total length and weight of each bass was noted, along with the presence or absence of lesions associated with red-sore disease (caused by the bacterium, Aeromonas hydrophila and the ciliate, Epistylis sp.). Blood was drawn, by heart puncture, from each bass and the following haematological parameters measured: haematocrit, haemoglobin, iron, total iron-binding capacity, thyroxine, sodium and potassium. Only the total iron-binding capacity was significantly higher in bass with red-sore disease; none of the other blood parameters were significantly different in infected and uninfected bass. Bass from thermally altered locations had consistently higher haematocrits during both summer and winter. Bass from thermal and ambient locations were not different with respect to iron, iron-binding capacity, sodium or potassium levels. However, bass taken during summer months had higher levels of circulating iron than individuals in winter months. Summer bass had higher thyroxine levels than bass in winter. These results are discussed in terms of their relationship to red-sore disease, season and the impact of thermal effluent.     

An attenuated plasmid-cured strain of Aeromonas hydrophila elicits protective immunity in Clarias batrachus L

Wild type Aeromonas hydrophila (Strain AO1) isolated from the lesions of ulcerative disease syndrome (UDS) affected fish bears a 21 kb virulence plasmid. With plasmid curing the isolates became attenuated and failed to induce fatal haemorrhagic ulcers in fish. The objective of the present work was to check the immunogenicity of these plasmid-cured derivatives and determine whether such strains could be used as candidate antigens for eliciting protective immunity to A. hydrophila infections in the Indian catfish Clarias batrachus L. It was observed that the plasmid-cured strains were immunogenic since infection with live plasmid-cured AO1 isolates generated effective T cell responses and led to increase in serum antibacterial agglutinin titres in C. batrachus. Plasmid-cured AO1 strains injected into C. batrachus could disseminate into head kidney (HK) and spleen but never attained the same bacterial loads obtained with wild type AO1 and were cleared rapidly from the host. Immunisation with plasmid-cured bacteria prevented systemic spread and conferred protection against lethal challenge (10 x LD(50)) with wild type A. hydrophila as well as other pathogenic strains of Aeromonas sp. These results demonstrate the potentials of plasmid-cured A. hydrophila derivatives as candidate antigens for eliciting protective immunity in fish and the possibility of using such isolates as shuttle vectors in aquaculture.     

Husbandry stress during early life stages affects the stress response and health status of juvenile sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax

In aquaculture management it is important to establish objective criteria to assess health and welfare of the fish. Here we show that European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) confronted with husbandry-associated stress (tank cleaning, i.e. scrubbing, and water temperature variation) during early life stages show poorer survival and disease resistance as juveniles. We evaluated several parameters for stress (plasma cortisol, glucose and lactate, hydromineral status), growth performance, the immune response (plasma IgM levels) and the effects of a nodavirus challenge. Principal component analysis allowed the establishment of a stress panel including plasma cortisol, osmolality, IgM levels and weight. Sea bass juveniles reared during early life in high and constant temperature perform best in terms of stress-related parameters assessed by principle component analysis. Variable water temperature triggers dramatic changes in plasma cortisol, osmolality, IgM levels, body weight and susceptibility to nodavirus that suggest a strong and prolonged activation of the HPI axis. Scrubbing induces some disturbances typical for mild short-term, acute stress, viz. increased plasma osmolality and decreased IgM levels, but does not affect plasma cortisol, growth or susceptibility to nodavirus of sea bass. Our data fit well with the concept of allostasis. We discuss the relevance of our work for sea bass aquaculture.     

Immunisation of Indian major carps against Aeromonas hydrophila by intraperitoneal injection

The Indian major carps Catla catla, Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala were immunised against the potent bacterial fish pathogen, Aeromonas hydrophila by the intraperitoneal route, in field conditions. Two different polyvalent antigen preparations namely, whole cell and extracellular products (ECP) were used. Immunisation schedule consisting of a single booster dose given 28 days after priming resulted in a good agglutinating antibody response in the carps. Kinetics of the response were similar in the three carp species with both whole cell and ECP. Upon challenge with virulent strains, relative percent survival as high as 80-90% was recorded. Indian major carps are the most important freshwater species cultured in India and it is essential that they are protected against infections of A. hydrophila, a scourge of freshwater fish worldwide.     

Orally administered thermostable N-acyl homoserine lactonase from Bacillus sp. strain AI96 attenuates Aeromonas hydrophila infection in zebrafish

N-Acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) lactonases are capable of degrading signal molecules involved in bacterial quorum sensing and therefore represent a new approach to control bacterial infection. Here a gene responsible for the AHL lactonase activity of Bacillus sp. strain AI96, 753 bp in length, was cloned and then expressed in Escherichia coli. The deduced amino acid sequence of Bacillus sp. AI96 AiiA (AiiA(AI96)) is most similar to those of other Bacillus sp. AHL lactonases (~80% sequence identity) and was consequently categorized as a member of the metallo-β-lactamase superfamily. AiiA(AI96) maintains ~100% of its activity at 10°C to 40°C at pH 8.0, and it is very stable at 70°C at pH 8.0 for at least 1 h; no other Bacillus AHL lactonase has been found to be stable under these conditions. AiiA(AI96) resists digestion by proteases and carp intestinal juice, and it has broad-spectrum substrate specificity. The supplementation of AiiA(AI96) into fish feed by oral administration significantly attenuated Aeromonas hydrophila infection in zebrafish. This is the first report of the oral administration of an AHL lactonase for the efficient control of A. hydrophila.     

An automated microfluidic chip system for detection of piscine nodavirus and characterization of its potential carrier in grouper farms

Groupers of the Epinephelus spp. are an important aquaculture species of high economic value in the Asia Pacific region. They are susceptible to piscine nodavirus infection, which results in viral nervous necrosis disease. In this study, a rapid and sensitive automated microfluidic chip system was implemented for the detection of piscine nodavirus; this technology has the advantage of requiring small amounts of sample and has been developed and applied for managing grouper fish farms. Epidemiological investigations revealed an extremely high detection rate of piscine nodavirus (89% of fish samples) from 5 different locations in southern Taiwan. In addition, positive samples from the feces of fish-feeding birds indicated that the birds could be carrying the virus between fish farms. In the present study, we successfully introduced this advanced technology that combines engineering and biological approaches to aquaculture. In the future, we believe that this approach will improve fish farm management and aid in reducing the economic loss experienced by fish farmers due to widespread disease outbreaks.     

Parasites and diseases of striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), from the lower Chesapeake Bay

A survey to determine presence of parasitic and disease organisms and their effect on estuarine populations of striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), was conducted monthly from May 1972 to May 1973. A total of 514 fish over 1 year old and 140 young-of-the-year were examined using standard necropsy and histological procedures. Other species of fishes were studied to determine the specificity of striped bass parasites and to determine if other fishes were reservoirs for striped bass pathogens. Forty-five species of parasitic organisms from viruses to Metazoa were recognized from striped bass. Heavy infections by some were associated with definite pathological conditions.     

Geographic risk factors for inter-river dispersal of Gyrodactylus salaris in fjord systems in Norway

Gyrodactylus salaris has been recorded in 46 Norwegian rivers since 1975 and is considered a threat to Atlantic salmon stocks. The primary introductions of G. salaris (primary infected rivers) have been accounted for by specific events, as reported in the literature. The parasite has subsequently dispersed to adjacent localities (secondary infected rivers). The objective of this paper is to address the occurrence of secondary infections by examining the hypothesis of inter-river dispersal of G. salaris. A dispersal model for the secondary river infections via migrating infected fish is proposed. Due to the limited tolerance of G. salaris to salinity, both freshwater inflow to dispersal pathways and dispersal distance were expected to influence the probability of inter-river dispersal. Eighteen rivers were categorised as primary infected rivers, 28 as secondary infected rivers, and 54 as rivers at risk. Four risk factors: the log10 freshwater inflow; the dispersal distance; the time at risk; and the salmon harvest were combined in a multi-variable logistic regression model of the probability of secondary infection. The final multi-variable model included log10 freshwater inflow (Wald chi-square = 9.93) and dispersal distance (Wald chi-square = 6.48). Receiver operating characteristic analyses of the final model supported freshwater inflow as a strong predictor of G. salaris infection status. The strong influence of the freshwater inflow on the probability of secondary infection adds further support to the hypothesis of inter-river dispersal of G. salaris through fjords.     

白藜芦醇抑制嗜水气单胞菌毒力作用研究

为探索白藜芦醇(Resveratrol, Res)在水产动物细菌病防控中的应用价值, 实验以淡水养殖中重要的细菌病原嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)为研究对象, 通过设置药物浓度梯度, 检测其对嗜水气单胞菌生长、生物膜形成和溶血活性的抑制作用, 和对毒力及群感调控系统相关基因表达的影响; 同时通过人工感染异育银鲫(Carassius auratus gibelio)试验检测其对鱼体保护作用和对鱼体炎症相关因子基因表达的影响。结果显示: 白藜芦醇对嗜水气单胞菌的最小抑菌浓度(MIC)>1024 μg/mL; 浓度低于64 μg/mL时, 对菌株生长影响不显著; 浓度≥32 μg/mL时, 对病原菌株生物膜形成和溶血活性具有显著抑制作用(P<0.05), 且随剂量增加而增强。荧光定量RT-PCR结果分析发现白藜芦醇能引起嗜水气单胞菌群感调控系统中luxR和luxS基因分别显著上调和下调表达; 外膜蛋白基因omp表达显著下降。人工感染试验发现攻毒前两小时腹腔注射25、50和100 mg/kg白藜芦醇处理组的异育银鲫死亡率显著下降, 鱼体炎症相关的肿瘤坏死因子(TNF-α)和Ⅱ型干扰素(IFN-γ)的mRNA表达量也显著下降。研究表明药用植物大黄、虎杖等所含白藜芦醇成分能有效抑制嗜水气单胞菌毒力, 降低鱼体炎症反应的功效; 腹腔注射25—100 mg/kg白藜芦醇对感染病原菌的异育银鲫有一定保护作用。     

饲料中添加牛乳铁蛋白肽对大口黑鲈幼鱼生长性能、消化酶活力、肠道组织结构及抗病力的影响

为探讨饲料中添加不同水平牛乳铁蛋白肽(Bovine lactoferricin, LfcinB)对大口黑鲈(Micropterus salmoides)幼鱼生长性能、消化酶活力、肠道组织结构及抗病力的影响,试验选取了初均重为(19.88±0.03) g的450尾大口黑鲈,随机分成5组,每组3个重复,分别在基础饲料中添加0(阴性对照组)、1000、1500和2000 mg/kg牛乳铁蛋白肽,并设置基础饲料+30 mg/kg氟苯尼考为阳性对照组,共5种试验饲料。试验周期为8周。结果表明:(1)随着牛乳铁蛋白肽添加量的增加,大口黑鲈的末均重(FBW)、增重率(WGR)和特定生长率(SGR)均呈现先升高后降低的趋势, 1000 mg/kg牛乳铁蛋白肽组大口黑鲈的生长性能最好且与对照组(阴性对照、阳性对照)对应数据差异显著(P<0.05)。(2)与两个对照组比, 1000 mg/kg牛乳铁蛋白肽组大口黑鲈的肠道胰蛋白酶、α-淀粉酶和脂肪酶活力均显著上升(P<0.05)。(3)与两个对照组比,饲料中添加1000 mg/kg牛乳铁蛋白肽可显著提高大口黑鲈前肠、中肠及后肠的绒毛高度和宽度(...     

Immunoreactive antigens of the outer membrane protein of Aeromonas hydrophila, isolated from goldfish, Carassius auratus (Linn.)

Aeromonas hydrophila causes disease under stress conditions or in concert with infection by other pathogens in goldfish. Sero-diagnostic and/or immunoprophylactic tools against Aeromonas infection in goldfish are not available so far. The present study was undertaken to fractionate and characterise the outer membrane proteins (OMP) of A. hydrophila and to identify suitable immunoreactive components. A total of 10 fractions were generated from crude OMP antigens upon gel permeation and subsequent ion-exchange chromatography. One of the fractionated antigens (GPID2), primarily a 57-kDa polypeptide, showed maximum sero-reactivity, even higher than the crude OMP. Suitability of GPID2 antigen for use in diagnostic preparations was assessed by dip-stick ELISA. In vitro goldfish lymphoproliferative ability of fractionated antigen, GPIID2 (primarily a 23-kDa polypeptide) was observed to be higher than all the fractionated antigens as well as crude OMP. It can be concluded that the 57 kDa and 23 kDa polypeptides of the OMP of A. hydrophila, possessing high immunoreactivity, should be given due attention while preparing immunodiagnostic and immunoprophylatic tools against Aeromonas infections in goldfish.