Co-infection of Lumpfish with Aeromonas Salmonicida and Vibrio Anguillarum Increases Mortality and Severity of Clinical Signs

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted at the Memorial University of Newfoundland has shown that co-infecting lumpfish with sublethal doses of Aeromonas salmonicida and Vibrio anguillarum can lead to increased mortality and severity of clinical signs, even at low doses. The study, published in the journal Aquaculture, aimed to explore the interactions between these two pathogens in a co-infection model and their impact on the lumpfish.

Key Takeaways:

  • The co-infection of lumpfish with Aeromonas salmonicida and Vibrio anguillarum increased mortality and severity of clinical signs, even at sublethal doses.
  • The study found that the two pathogens did not cross-antagonize each other, but instead seemed to synergize, leading to a more severe infection.
  • Lumpfish co-infected with sublethal doses of both pathogens showed severe clinical signs of both furunculosis and vibriosis, with survival rates of 28.09% and 10.82% for the two different dose levels, respectively.
  • The study highlights the importance of understanding the interactions between co-infecting pathogens and their impact on host physiology, in order to develop effective disease management strategies in aquaculture.
  • The research was conducted by a team of scientists from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, including Javier Santander, Joy Chukwu-Osazuwa, Trung Cao, Ignacio Vasquez, Hajarooba Gnanagobal, Ahmed Hossain, My Dang, Oluwatoyin Onireti, and Jennifer R. Hall.

Statistics:

  • 50 lumpfish were used in each group for the animal experiments.
  • The study found that the co-infection of lumpfish with sublethal doses of Aeromonas salmonicida and Vibrio anguillarum increased mortality and severity of clinical signs, even at low doses.
  • The survival rate of lumpfish co-infected with 10^4 and 10^5 CFU dose-1 of A. salmonicida and V. anguillarum were 28.09% and 10.82%, respectively.
  • The study found that sub-lethal doses of A. salmonicida could not be recovered by plate counting, but the TaqMan assay revealed the presence of A. salmonicida and V. anguillarum in the head kidney of co-infected lumpfish.

Sources:

  • Experimental Co-infection of Lumpfish With Sublethal Doses Of Aeromonas Salmonicida And Vibrio Anguillarum Causes Increased Mortality. Aquaculture, 2025;609.
  • Elsevier - www.elsevier.com
  • Aquaculture - www.journals.elsevier.com/aquaculture/
  • Javier Santander, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dept. of Ocean Sciences, Marine Microbial Pathogenesis & Vaccinol Lab, St. John, Nf, Canada.