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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Aquatic Animal Health Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #417909
Research Project: Integrated Research to Improve Aquatic Animal Health in Warmwater Aquaculture

Location: Aquatic Animal Health Research

Title: Temporal Dynamics of Motile Aeromonas Septicemia in Channel Catfish With Varied Skin Injury and Feeding Conditions

Author
item SOKU, YESUTOR - Tuskegee University
item Lange, Miles
item Shoemaker, Craig
item Abernathy, Jason
item SANKAPPA, NITHIN - Orise Fellow
item Justice, Megan
item CHURCHMAN, EMILY - Auburn University
item QUIROZ, VICTORIA - Auburn University
item MOHAMED, ABDELRAHMAN - Auburn University

Submitted to: American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/11/2024
Publication Date: 7/11/2024
Citation: Soku, Y., Lange, M.D., Shoemaker, C.A., Abernathy, J.W., Sankappa, N.M., Justice, M.E., Churchman, E.C., Quiroz, V.L., Mohamed, A. 2024. Temporal Dynamics of Motile Aeromonas Septicemia in Channel Catfish With Varied Skin Injury and Feeding Conditions [ABSTRACT]. American Fisheries Society Fish Health Section Seminars 2024, Webinar, July 11, 2024.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Virulent Aeromonas hydrophila (vAh) has been identified as the main pathogen in recent occurrences of motile Aeromonas septicemia (MAS) in commercial-sized channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and hybrid catfish (Ictalurus punctatus X I. furcatus). In 2021, 2.05 million pounds of catfish were lost to vAh in West Alabama alone and at current live fish prices the estimated monetary loss is roughly US $2.6 million annually. Field reports suggest that mortality is often observed after feeding or seining catfish. Therefore, using an existing bath immersion infection challenge model with fin clipping, we investigated the effects of skin integrity (fin-clipping) and dietary status (feeding) on channel catfish infected with vAh. A total of 425 channel catfish (mean weight = 30 g) were challenged with vAh strain, ALG-15-097, at a concentration of 1.5×107 CFU/mL in 4 treatment groups. Group 1 was fin clipped and fed (FCF, n=100), group 2 was not fin clipped but fed (NCF, n=100), group 3 was fin clipped but not fed (FCN, n=100), and group 4 was not fin clipped and not fed (NCN, n=100). The fed groups that were fed 2 h prior to the challenge on commercial diet at 3% of their average body weight. All fish were anesthetized (MS-222 at 150mg/L), fin clipped treatments had their adipose fin cut off with scissors before being placed in flow-through tanks. No fin clipped fish were placed in the tanks after anesthesia. The mortalities were recorded at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 20, 24, 36, 48 and 72 hours. The control group (n=25) were manipulated like groups 1 (FCF) and 2 (NCF) but were mock challenged with sterile tryptic soy broth. After 72 h post challenge, we observed 30%, 38%, 23% and 55% survival rate in groups 1 (FCF), 2 (NCF), 3 (FCN) and 4 (NCN) respectively. Overall, statistically significant differences were observed between treatments, except between groups 12 (FNCF) and 34 (FNCN). Results suggest skin integrity and dietary status are important factors in MAS pathogenesis.