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Characterization and control of Cytophaga psychrophila (Borg) the causative agent of low temperature disease in young coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

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Title Characterization and control of Cytophaga psychrophila (Borg) the causative agent of low temperature disease in young coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Names Holt, Richard Allen (creator)
Fryer, J. L. (advisor)
Date Issued 1971-08-16 (iso8601)
Note Graduation date: 1972
Abstract The purpose of this study was to characterize Cytophaga
psychrophila isolates obtained from coho fingerlings with low temperature
disease collected at selected hatcheries in Oregon. In
addition, cultures thought to be related to this bacterium were
isolated from Siletz Hatchery water, deformed juvenile and spawning
adult coho salmon, rainbow and brook trout and chinook salmon.
These isolates some of which were believed to be epidemiologically
significant were included in the study and their characteristics compared
to those of the low temperature disease cultures.
A total of 24 myxobacterial isolates were studied by examination
of morphological, cultural, biochemical and serological characteristics.
Results of these tests revealed all to be very closely
related cultures of C. psychrophila. The cells were gram negative,
flexible rods exhibiting gliding motility with no microcysts and
fruiting structures formed. These aerobic psychropiles had an
optimum growth temperature between 15-18°C and did not grow
above 25°C. All cultures were proteolytic, lipolytic and shared
at least one common antigen. A low temperature disease, adult
coho salmon, deformed juvenile coho salmon, peduncle disease,
and rainbow trout isolate were shown to have the ability to produce
death in fingerling coho salmon when injected intramuscularly.
A serological typing study of six selected isolates revealed no
antigenic differences among those collected from fish in Oregon.
A peduncle disease isolate from brook trout collected in the Eastern
United States shared at least one common antigen with the Oregon
cultures and in addition antigens unique to each were demonstrated.
To determine if spawning adult coho salmon carry C.
psychrophila, bacteriological cultures were prepared from the
kidneys of adult fish collected at Siletz and Alsea Hatcheries.
Approximarely 50% of these fish were carrying the disease agent
suggesting that the eggs may become contaminated from this source.
Several attempts to isolate C. psychrophila from coho salmon eggs
were unsuccessful. Myxobacterial cultures obtained from deformed
juvenile coho salmon occurring at fish hatcheries in Oregon subsequent
to low temperature disease epizootics were demonstrated to
be C. psychrophila. Furanace, a new nitrofuran chemotherapeutic agent, was
tested in vitro and in vivo against the low temperature disease bacterium.
Using the tube dilution method, minimal inhibitory concentrations
of 0.007 (three isolates) and 0.062 (one isolate) [mu]g/ml
Furanace were determined. Higher concentrations of 4. 0 to 8. 0 [mu]g/
ml Furanace were needed to produce a bactericidal effect. In in vivo
studies, 0. 5 [mu]g/ml Furanace added to the water containing young coho
salmon at Siletz River Salmon Hatchery provided complete protection
against a natural outbreak of low temperature disease.
Genre Thesis
Topic Cytophaga
Identifier http://hdl.handle.net/1957/10051

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