Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #218691
Title: Evaluation of potassium permanganate against an experimental subacute infection of Flavobacterium columnare in channel catfish, Icatlurus punctatus

Author
item Darwish, Ahmed
item Mitchell, Andrew
item Straus, David - Dave

Submitted to: Journal of Fish Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2008
Publication Date: 3/4/2009
Citation: Darwish, A.M., Mitchell, A.J., Straus, D.L. 2009. Evaluation of potassium permanganate against an experimental subacute infection of Flavobacterium columnare in channel catfish, Icatlurus punctatus. Journal of Fish Diseases. 32:193-199.

Interpretive Summary: Columnaris disease, caused by the bacterium Flavobacterium columnare, exists worldwide and affects a wide variety of fish. In the United States, columnaris is the second most costly disease to the channel catfish industry after enteric septicemia of channel catfish. Because of the serious losses attributed to the disease, therapeutants are needed to control columnaris. The present study was designed evaluate the efficacy of potassium permanganate as a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of a mild infection of F. columnare in channel catfish. The results demonstrated that potassium permanganate has a clear prophylactic value but probably a marginal therapeutic value once the infection has established.

Technical Abstract: An experiment was performed to evaluate the efficacy of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) as a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of an experimental subacute infection of Flavobacterium columnare in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Fish were cutaneously abraded and divided into five treatment groups; 1) challenged, by waterborne exposure to F. columnare, and not treated with KMnO4 (positive control), 2) challenged and simultaneously treated with KMnO4, 3) challenged and treated with KMnO4 at 1-, 6- and 9-d post-challenge, 4) not challenged and treated with KMnO4 at the previously mentioned periods (first negative control), and 5) not challenged and not treated (second negative control). The dosing of KMnO4 was 2.0 mg/L above the potassium permanganate demand for 2 h duration. The survival of the group challenged and simultaneously treated with KMnO4 (99%) was significantly higher than the positive control (78%) and was not significantly different from the negative control groups. The challenged fish treated with KMnO4 post-challenge had 7% higher survival than the positive control (85% compared to 78%) but that difference was not statistically significant. The results demonstrate that KMnO4 has a clear prophylactic value but probably a marginal therapeutic value once the infection has established.