FISH DIE-OFF - USA: (VIRGINIA)

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A ProMED-mail post

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International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Wed 10 Jun 2009
Source: The Washington Times [edited]



Dead fish found again
---------------------
Sightings of dead fish again are being reported by citizens as well
as biologists of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
and the Department of Environmental Quality [DEQ]. The number of
rivers the reports have come from is small, but "significant numbers
of fish with lesions" have been noted, according to the game and
fisheries agency.

The discovery of dead or suffering fish mirrors those of past years,
but scientists recently found a link between _Aeromonas salmonicida_
-- a bacterium found in diseased river fish -- and lesions and/or
deaths of experimentally infected laboratory fish.

The source of the bacterium and how it is transmitted are keeping the
state biologists busy. This has been an ongoing riddle, and no one
has been able to pinpoint the source of the problem. Most of the
affected fish thus far have been smallmouth bass and sunfish, and
with warming water temperatures the fish kills are not likely to disappear.

The North Fork of the Shenandoah River in Shenandoah County (from the
New Market area downstream to beyond Woodstock) again is one of the
troubled waterways; so is the upper portion of the South Fork of the
Shenandoah River in Rockingham County (primarily upstream of Elkton).
Add also the lower sections of the North, Middle, and South rivers in
Augusta and Rockingham counties and the upper James River near
Buchanan in Botetourt County.

The public is asked to report the location of sick and dying fish by
calling the DEQ's Harrisonburg office at 540/574-7800 or by making a
toll-free call if you're in Virginia at 800/5925482. Reports can also
be made by e-mail; send them to .

[Byline: Gene Mueller]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[All species of salmon, trout, char, and grayling are susceptible to
infection. Furthermore, the number of non-salmonid hosts that have
become infected with this bacterium has steadily multiplied
commensurate with the increased conduct of epidemiological
investigations. Present indications suggest that there are at least 4
subspecies of _A. salmonicida_ -- _salmonicida_, _achromogenes_,
_masoucida_, and _smithia_ (Holt et al, 1994).

Strains of _A. salmonicida_ subsp. _salmonicida_ induce typical
furunculosis and cause severe septicemia with resultant mortality
especially within coldwater fishes.

These same phenomena have occurred in the past, so it is nice to put
a name to the condition.

_Aeromonas_ is a gram-negative bacterium with manifestations of
infecting wounds, gastroenteritis, as well as being the primary
bacterium cause of hemorrhagic septicemia. Other manifestations may
include pop-eye and dropsy.

Sometimes the ulcerations produced on the fish result in a common
name of furunculosis. Photos of furunculosis may be seen at


Portions of this comment have been extracted from
. - Mod.TG]

[The State of Virginia on the Atlantic Coast of the US can be located
on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
. - CopyEd.MJ]

[see also:
2007
----
Undiagnosed die-off, fish - USA (MD) 20070223.0664
2004
----
Fish die-off, temperature related - USA (MD) 20040809.2200
1997
----
Fish die-off - USA (Maryland) (04) 19970908.1935
Fish die-off - USA (Maryland) (03) 19970905.1917
Pfiesteria pathogenesis 19970904.1894
Pfiesteria piscicida: a synopsis 19970903.1878
Fish die-off - USA (Maryland, Virginia): Pfiesteria (03) 19970903.1876
Fish die-off - USA (Maryland) (02) 19970808.1639
Fish die-off - Maryland, USA 19970615.1257]
...................................tg/mj/dk

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