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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Aquatic Animal Health Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #305885
Title: Naturally infected catfish concurrently transmit Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and Edwardsiella ictaluri to naive catfish

Author
item Xu, Dehai
item Shoemaker, Craig
item ZHANG, QI-ZHONG - Guangzhou University

Submitted to: International Aquatic Animal Health Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2014
Publication Date: 8/31/2014
Citation: Xu, D., Shoemaker, C.A., Zhang, Q. 2014. Naturally infected catfish concurrently transmit Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and Edwardsiella ictaluri to naive catfish [abstract]. International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health p. 188.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bacterium Edwardsiella ictaluri and parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich) are two common pathogens of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) which cause major losses to catfish aquaculture. There is limited information available whether fish naturally coinfected with Ich and E. ictaluri can concurrently transmit both pathogens to naive fish. The objective of this study was to expose naive catfish to naturally infected fish that carried Ich and E. ictaluri to provide clinical evidence for transmission of both pathogens. Three tanks of fish were exposed to naturally coinfected fish and two tanks were utilized as mock-infected controls in each of the two trials. In trial I, 34 out of 60 fish (56.7%) exposed to two infected fish per tank died at day one. All remaining fish (100%) died two days post exposure. Of the dead fish, all showed heavy Ich infection and E. ictaluri was isolated from the kidney of 50% of the dead catfish. In trial II, the cumulative mortality in fish exposed to 2 coinfected fish per tank was less than 20% during days 1-7 post exposure. Most of the fish died from 8 to 14 days post exposure to the coinfected fish. Ninety-six % of the fish were positive for both Ich and E. ictaluri in trial II. The results demonstrated that fish naturally coinfected with Ich and E. ictaluri could concomitantly transmit both pathogens to naive fish. In aquaculture management, precaution is needed to thoroughly examine fish prior to shipment or purchase to prevent the spread of aquatic animal pathogens.