Journal of fish diseases最新文献

Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 is a highly important genus of fish myxozoans, consisting of many species that cause serious diseases in ornamental cyprinid fish species in different geographic areas by infecting a wide range of organs. This study describes a new Myxobolus species infecting the gill lamellae, gill rakers and skin epidermis of goldfish (Carassius auratus) from Mohammadshahr, Iran, based on detailed morphological, histological and molecular analysis. Mature spores were small and spherical in shape, consisting of two symmetrical shell valves in frontal view, measuring 10.3 (9.8–10.9) μm in length and 10.5 (10.3–11.2) μm in width. Two equal-sized relatively pyriform polar capsules were 5.4 (3.9–6.0) μm long and 4.5 (3.7–5.2) μm wide. The polar tubules were coiled with 4–6 turns. A comparative analysis of the morphological and molecular data confirmed that this species is distinct from other identified myxosporeans. Plasmodia in the cutaneous tissue were found in the epidermis, causing extensive hyperplasia of Malpighian cells and mild inflammatory infiltration. In the gill tissue, plasmodia affected only one side of the lamellae, leading to hyperplasia of the lamellar epithelium, edema, and lymphoplasmacytic branchitis. A novel myxozoan species, Myxobolus branchioepidermis n. sp., has been proposed. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the morphological, histological, and molecular characteristics of this parasite, which infects the gill lamellae and epidermal layer of the skin in oranda goldfish (C. auratus). The identification of this new species adds to the growing body of research on myxozoan parasites and highlights its potential impact on ornamental fish aquaculture.

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) and nervous necrosis virus (NNV) are two common and important causative agents in marine-cultured fish. However, high viral loads of both ISKNV and NNV in the same clinical case is unusual. In this study, a mass mortality event of Asian seabass Lates calcarifer juveniles occurred in Zhuhai, the main Asian seabass cultured area in mainland China. The fish samples were pooled for pathogen identification and both high viral loads of ISKNV and NNV were detected by real-time microfluidic quantitative PCR and conventional PCR. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence showed that strong ISKNV signals were detected in spleen and liver, while strong NNV signals were detected in brain and eye. The tissue homogenates were inoculated into MFF-1 cell and SSN-1 cell, respectively. After several viral passages, both individual ISKNV and NNV were purely isolated from each other, and designated as ASB-ISKNV-23 and ASB-NNV-23, respectively. The whole genome sequences of ASB-ISKNV-23 and ASB-NNV-23 were determined and annotated. The result showed that ASB-ISKNV-23 and ASB-NNV-23 are composed of 112,236 bp and 4441 bp, respectively. Phylogeny analysis showed that ASB-ISKNV-23 belongs to ISKNV-II sub-genotype and ASB-NNV-23 belongs to RGNNV genotype. Collectedly, coinfection of ISKNV-II and RGNNV were firstly documented in mass mortality of Asian seabass in mainland China. Importantly, both individual ISKNV-II and RGNNV were purely isolated using two different permissive cell lines. Our study provides useful information for better understanding the complex pathogenesis regarding the coinfection with ISKNV and NNV in farmed fish.

Studies on preventing antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture emphasise the need to responsibly and prudently use antimicrobials, selecting those most effective in controlling and/or reducing mortalities caused by vibriosis. In this study, the distribution of the antimicrobial susceptibility of 28 Vibrio anguillarum isolates from Turkish fish farms was determined using the broth microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline. The epidemiological cut-off (CO_WT) values of the V. anguillarum isolates of florfenicol (FLO), tetracycline (TET), doxycycline (DOX), oxolinic acid (OXO), enrofloxacin (ENR) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT) were calculated using the normalised resistance interpretation (NRI) and ECOFFinder methods. Isolates were categorised as belonging to the fully susceptible wild-type (WT) or non-wild-type (NWT) populations. Calculated CO_WT values (in μg mL⁻¹) were ≤ 1.0 for FLO and DOX, ≤ 0.5 for TET, ≤ 0.016 for ENR, ≤ 0.032 for OXO, and ≤ 4.0 for SXT using the NRI analysis. Percentages of V. anguillarum isolates categorised as belonging to the NWT population were small for the antimicrobials FLO (10.7%) and SXT (0%), whereas they were higher for the antimicrobials OXO (39.3%) and ENR (39.3%). This is the first study to estimate the local CO_WT values for antibiotics used in the control of V. anguillarum isolates recovered from farmed fish in Turkey.

Mannose receptor (MR) is a transmembrane protein and a type of pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) that plays a critical role in the immunity of mammals and fish. In this study, we examined the role of MR in binding with infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus-like particle (IHHN-VLP) and the downstream immune pathway that it triggers in the shrimp Peneaus vannamei. Upon IHHN-VLP challenge, transcripts of MR in P. vannamei (PvMR) increased significantly in all examined tissues, particularly those related to shrimp immunity, including hemocyte, hepatopancreas and gill tissues. Specifically, IHHN-VLP bound to the 34-kDa PvMR protein in shrimp-tissue extracts. Immunohistochemistry results of hemocytes showed that PvMR was initially localised on the plasma membrane but later internalised and dispersed throughout the cytoplasm after IHHN-VLP administration. Binding between IHHN-VLP and PvMR also induced significant upregulation of genes for the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) penaeidin 3 and crustin, presumably to protect the shrimp against the viral infection. However, knocking down PvMR resulted in down-regulation of all immune-related genes examined. Overall, as an immune-related PRR, PvMR serves as a receptor for invading viruses, which then trigger the expression of AMPs. Strategic designs using PvMR could be developed to either block the interaction of native virus with the host cells or provoke its up-regulation to enhance shrimp immunity, which could open up opportunities to fight against IHHNV infection in shrimp.

This study assesses the health status of the edible Tehuelche scallop, Aequipecten tehuelchus, reporting the epidemiological results of the parasites and their infection levels by histopathological analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Environmental factors (site: West and East domains of the San José gulf, seawater temperature) and host traits (size, physiological condition index, gonad development stages) associated with parasite load (prevalence, mean intensity, parasite abundance and total parasite abundance) were tested with generalised linear models (GLMs). Histopathological results revealed Rickettsia-like organisms (RLOs), several protozoans (Trichodina sp., Nematopsis sp. and APXSc apicomplexans) and metazoans (turbellarians and Tumidotheres maculatus pea crabs) as well as inflammatory lesions in form of granulomas and hemocytic infiltration. The prevalence of the parasitofauna did not vary significantly between gulf domains, except the apicomplexan APXSc that was significantly most prevalent in scallops from the East Domain. However, the mean intensity of infection seemed to be determined by the gulf domains, which present distinct hydrographic regimes, where RLO's, Trichodina sp. and T. maculatus were significantly more intense in scallops from the West, opposite with Nematopsis sp. infection. Total parasite abundance was influenced by seasonal variations, it was negatively correlated with warmer temperatures. The physiological condition index of A. tehuelchus seemed not to be affected by the presence or abundance of any of the parasites. Nevertheless, the apicomplexan APXSc would represent a significant risk to the health of A. tehuelchus due to the pathological conditions, and surveillance of this parasite is needed for a sustainable A. tehuelchus fishery.

Heat stress can increase disease risk in fishes by reducing immune function. Interactions between redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) and Flavobacterium columnare, a causative agent of columnaris disease, provide an opportunity to investigate the effects of temperature on immune function and disease resistance during periods of thermal stress. We conducted three trials to characterise differences in immune function and mortality between redband trout held at 18°C and 21°C following challenge with F. columnare. In trial 1, cumulative per cent mortality (CPM) was low and not statistically different between 18°C and 21°C. In trials 2 and 2, we administered higher challenge doses and observed increased CPM overall and significantly greater CPM at 21°C than 18°C. Redband trout upregulated il-8, tnf-α, igm and igt following infection by F. columnare, suggesting that all of these genes may be involved in immune responses to F. columnare infection. We found no differences in the strength of the immune responses between fish held at 21°C versus 18°C. This indicated that 21°C did not elicit sufficient thermal stress to impair immune function and that increased CPM at 21°C versus 18°C was due to enhanced F. columnare virulence.

Thyroid disorders can manifest in several forms, including follicular cell hyperplasia (goitre), follicular cell adenoma and follicular cell carcinoma. Following the detection of large and gradually increasing tumour-like masses in the gular region of wild fourlined terapons (Pelates quadrilineatus) housed in various tanks in a public aquarium in June 2022, September 2022 and October 2023, several fish displaying clinical signs were transported to the Ornamental Fish Clinic at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran. Upon clinical inspection, the fish had prominent tumour-like masses in the gular area, located beneath the operculum. Upon histological examination of the first series, the masses revealed thyroid well-differentiated hyperplastic follicles that contained colloid and were lined by cuboidal epithelial cells. There were no signs of cellular atypia or mitotic figures. The study of the second series also revealed the existence of cellular atypia, but still no mitotic figures. In the examination of the third series, apart from the earlier lesions, there was evidence of neoplastic cell invasion into adjacent structures such as the adipose tissue and subepithelial layer. In addition, there was moderate cellular pleomorphism and a limited number of mitotic figures. Although the termination of water ozonation and the addition of potassium iodide to the feed were effective in treating thyroid hyperplasia, the treatment for thyroid neoplasia was not successful. The present study provides the evidence of clinical and histopathological findings of follicular cell hyperplasia, adenoma and adenocarcinoma of the thyroid gland in fourlined terapon.

Spiroplasma eriocheiris is a pathogen in the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis and is associated with tremor disease. S. eriocheiris infects virtually all artificially bred crustaceans, resulting in significant economic losses to the aquaculture industry in China. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is considered a promising technology for the rapid and sensitive detection of disease. For the rapid detection of S. eriocheiris, this study established basic RPA, RPA-EXO and RPA-LFD, which were visualised via agarose gel electrophoresis, SYBR Green I, fluorescence signals and test lines on lateral flow dipsticks. Specific primers and probes were designed based on the 16S ribosomal RNA sequence of S. eriocheiris. The optimal primer pairs for the basic RPA, RPA-EXO and RPA-LFD were RPA-F3/R3, RPA-F3/R3 and RPA-LFD-F3/R3, respectively. The optimal temperatures and times of basic RPA, RPA-EXO and RPA-LFD were 37°C for 25 min, 39°C for 30 min and 39°C for 10 min, respectively. The specificity test indicated that in addition to the positive test results for S. eriocheiris, the other five DNA templates tested negative, demonstrating strong specificity. The results of the sensitivity test revealed that the detection limits of RPA, RPA-EXO and RPA-LFD were 5.77 × 10⁻², 5.77 × 10⁻⁴ and 1.52 × 10⁻⁶ ng/μL, respectively, indicating high sensitivity. This study established three methods for the detection of S. eriocheiris that are characterised by a constant temperature, rapid response, high sensitivity and strong specificity.