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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Aquatic Animal Health Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #293489
Title: Parasite Ich could transmit Edwardsiella ictaluri into channel catfish

Author
item Xu, Dehai
item Shoemaker, Craig
item Klesius, Phillip

Submitted to: American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2013
Publication Date: 9/8/2013
Citation: Xu, D., Shoemaker, C.A., Klesius, P.H. 2013. Parasite Ich could transmit Edwardsiella ictaluri into channel catfish. In: American Fisheries Society National 143rd Annual Meeting, September 8-12, 2013. p. 71.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: : There is limited information on whether parasites act as vectors to transmit bacteria in fish. In this study, we used parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and fluorescent bacterium Edwardsiella ictaluri as a model to study the interaction between parasite, bacterium and fish. The theronts after exposure to E. ictaluri showed significantly higher fluorescing bacteria (23-39 %) than control theronts (~6 %). Theronts exposed to E. ictaluri at 4 × 107 CFU mL-1 showed a higher percentage (~60 %) of fluorescent theronts compared to those (42 %) exposed to 4 × 103 CFU mL-1 at 4 h. All tomonts (100 %) carried the bacterium after exposure to E. ictaluri. E. ictaluri survived and replicated during tomont division. Confocal microscopy demonstrated E. ictaluri was associated with the tomont surface. Among theronts released from tomonts exposed to E. ictaluri, 31 – 66 % was observed with attached E. ictaluri. Sixty percent of fish exposed to theronts treated with 5×107 E. ictaluri mL-1 were positive for E. ictaluri at 4 h as determined by qPCR or fluorescent microscopy. Fluorescent E. ictaluri were observed on trophonts in skin and gill wet mounts of dead fish. This study demonstrated that Ich could vector E. ictaluri to channel catfish.