547
Vibrio harveyi (= V. carchariae = V. trachuri)
Characteristics of the Diseases
A comparative newcomer to the growing list of vibrio fi sh pathogens , V. carchariae
was originally isolated from a dead sandbar shark ( Carcharhinus plumbeus) which
died at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, USA, in 1982 (Grimes et al. 1984a ).
Subsequently, a similar organism was recovered from lemon sharks ( Negraprion
brevirostris) (Colwell and Grimes 1984 ). Grimes et al. ( 1984b ) and Colwell and
Grimes ( 1984 ) described the disease as a ‘vasculitis’. Infected animals became
lethargic, stopped feeding, appeared disorientated, and developed necrotic subdermal cysts. On postmortem examination, encephalitis, meningitis, kidney necrosis,
vasculitis, and unspecifi ed liver and spleen damage were noted. Evidence has been
forthcoming that the pathogen is more serious in compromised than healthy hosts
(Grimes et al. 1985 ). A similar organism has been isolated from a chronic skin ulcer
on a shark (Bertone et al. 1996 ). V. carchariae was associated with gastro-enteritis
leading to heavy mortalities among cultured groupers (Epinephelus coioides) during 1993 in Taiwan (Yii et al. 1997 ). One isolate, EmI82KL, was noted to be motile,
did not auto-agglutinate, but was haemolytic to grouper, rabbit, sheep and tilapia
blood.
A parallel development involved game fi sh, namely common snook (Centropomus
undecimalis) . These were found to suffer with opaque white corneas within 24 h of
capture in Florida, USA (Kraxberger-Beatty et al. 1990 ). From such damaged specimens, V. harveyi was recovered. Common snoop developed opaque white corneas
within 24 h of capture. In the absence of treatment, blindness resulted. With a second species, jack crevalle ( Caranx hippos), deep dermal lesions were noted in wild
specimens, which were also captured in Florida. Internal abnormalities were not
recorded (Kraxberger-Beatty et al. 1990 ). In another example from an aquarium in
Barcelona, eye lesions in the short sunfi sh (Mola mola) due to biting by other fi sh –
were colonised by V. harveyi (Hispano et al. 1997 ). Other diseases include:
– Flounder infectious necrotizing enteritis, which is characterised by distended
abdomens fi led with opaque fl uid, enteritis, necrosis of the posterior intestine (in
extreme cases, this was detached from the anus and exiting via the vent), reddening in the vicinity of the anus, lethargy and inappetance has been documented in
farmed summer fl ounder in Rhode Island, USA (Soffi entino et al. 1999 ; Gauger
et al. 2006 ).
– Skin ulcers and haemorrhaging in the vicinity of the mouth and fi ns has been
reported in sole (Solea senegalensis) in Spain (Zorrilla et al. 2003 ).
– Infectious gastro-enteritis, which has been reported in cultured red drum
(Sciaenops ocelatus) from Taiwan (Liu et al. 2003 ). Disease signs included swollen intestine containing yellow fl uid.
– Nodular lesions in the branchial chamber and operculum, and granuloma in tiger
puffer ( Takifugu rubripes ) in Japan (Mohi et al. 2010 ).
Vibrio harveyi (= V. carchariae = V. trachuri)
Vibrio harveyi (= V. carchariae = V. trachuri)
Characteristics of the Diseases
A comparative newcomer to the growing list of vibrio fi sh pathogens , V. carchariae
was originally isolated from a dead sandbar shark ( Carcharhinus plumbeus) which
died at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, USA, in 1982 (Grimes et al. 1984a ).
Subsequently, a similar organism was recovered from lemon sharks ( Negraprion
brevirostris) (Colwell and Grimes 1984 ). Grimes et al. ( 1984b ) and Colwell and
Grimes ( 1984 ) described the disease as a ‘vasculitis’. Infected animals became
lethargic, stopped feeding, appeared disorientated, and developed necrotic subdermal cysts. On postmortem examination, encephalitis, meningitis, kidney necrosis,
vasculitis, and unspecifi ed liver and spleen damage were noted. Evidence has been
forthcoming that the pathogen is more serious in compromised than healthy hosts
(Grimes et al. 1985 ). A similar organism has been isolated from a chronic skin ulcer
on a shark (Bertone et al. 1996 ). V. carchariae was associated with gastro-enteritis
leading to heavy mortalities among cultured groupers (Epinephelus coioides) during 1993 in Taiwan (Yii et al. 1997 ). One isolate, EmI82KL, was noted to be motile,
did not auto-agglutinate, but was haemolytic to grouper, rabbit, sheep and tilapia
blood.
A parallel development involved game fi sh, namely common snook (Centropomus
undecimalis) . These were found to suffer with opaque white corneas within 24 h of
capture in Florida, USA (Kraxberger-Beatty et al. 1990 ). From such damaged specimens, V. harveyi was recovered. Common snoop developed opaque white corneas
within 24 h of capture. In the absence of treatment, blindness resulted. With a second species, jack crevalle ( Caranx hippos), deep dermal lesions were noted in wild
specimens, which were also captured in Florida. Internal abnormalities were not
recorded (Kraxberger-Beatty et al. 1990 ). In another example from an aquarium in
Barcelona, eye lesions in the short sunfi sh (Mola mola) due to biting by other fi sh –
were colonised by V. harveyi (Hispano et al. 1997 ). Other diseases include:
– Flounder infectious necrotizing enteritis, which is characterised by distended
abdomens fi led with opaque fl uid, enteritis, necrosis of the posterior intestine (in
extreme cases, this was detached from the anus and exiting via the vent), reddening in the vicinity of the anus, lethargy and inappetance has been documented in
farmed summer fl ounder in Rhode Island, USA (Soffi entino et al. 1999 ; Gauger
et al. 2006 ).
– Skin ulcers and haemorrhaging in the vicinity of the mouth and fi ns has been
reported in sole (Solea senegalensis) in Spain (Zorrilla et al. 2003 ).
– Infectious gastro-enteritis, which has been reported in cultured red drum
(Sciaenops ocelatus) from Taiwan (Liu et al. 2003 ). Disease signs included swollen intestine containing yellow fl uid.
– Nodular lesions in the branchial chamber and operculum, and granuloma in tiger
puffer ( Takifugu rubripes ) in Japan (Mohi et al. 2010 ).
Vibrio harveyi (= V. carchariae = V. trachuri)