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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #211667
Title: In vitro and in vivo evaluation of potassium permanganate treatment efficacy for the control of acute experimental infection of flavobacterium columnare in channel catfish

Author
item Darwish, Ahmed
item Mitchell, Andrew
item HOBBS, MELISSA - WILLIAMS BAPTIST COLLEGE

Submitted to: American Fishery Society (Fish Health Section) Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/27/2007
Publication Date: 6/4/2007
Citation: Darwish, A.M., Mitchell, A.J., Hobbs, M.S. 2007. In vitro and in vivo evaluation of potassium permanganate treatment efficacy for the control of acute experimental infection of flavobacterium columnare in channel catfish [abstract]. American Fishery Society (Fish Health Section) Proceedings. p.17.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An experiment was performed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) against Flavobacterium columnare. In vitro, F. columnare treated with KMnO4 at 2 mg/L for 8 h had a 70 % colony forming unit count (CFU) reduction. A minimum concentration of 10 mg/L of KMnO4 was needed to inhibit bacterial growth. An acute and systemic experimental infection was produced in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus by waterborne exposure to the bacteria after mechanical cutaneous abrasion to remove mucus and epithelium. Fish were treated 22 h post bacterial challenge with 2.3 mg/L of KMnO4, 2.0 mg/L above the KMnO4 demand, for 8 h. This did not reduce the mortalities of experimentally infected fish. The infection model utilized in the experiment was evaluated by examining the clinical signs and histopathology of infected fish. Fish in the model showed columnaris signs similar to a natural infection: skin depigmentation and ulceration and gill necrosis. Histologically, the skin had severe ulcerative necrotizing dermatitis and the muscles had severe necrotizing myositis. The gills had severe multifocal necrotizing branchitis involving the lamellar and filament epithelium, the pillar cells and the central venous sinus. Heavy bacterial aggregates of long rods were associated with the necrotic cellular debris. The identity of the bacteria isolated from the challenged fish was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. The results suggest KMnO4 would be beneficial for reducing F. columnare load in the water column and possibly on fish but KMnO4 therapeutic value would be limited in fish with an acute and systemic columnaris infection. Further research would be warranted to investigate KMnO4 value as a therapeutant for fish with a milder columnaris infection and as a treatment to prevent further spread of columnaris in a fish population.