Candida Manassasensis Infection in Mass Mortality Case of Siberian Sturgeon Acipenser Baerii Fingerlings in the Republic of Korea: A Case Report.

With the growing demand for caviar products, sturgeon (family Acipenseridae) have become some of the most popular species in the aquaculture industry. Since sturgeon need more than 10 years to become sexually mature, protection against fatal diseases becomes particularly important in the industry. In March 2018, approximately 10% of Siberian Sturgeon Acipenser baerii fingerlings in a sturgeon hatchery in Jeolla Province, Republic of Korea, exhibited anorexia, abdominal distension, buoyancy loss, and abnormal behavior and eventually showed a 90% fatality rate. Twenty moribund fish were necropsied, and a distended stomach filled with gas was found in every case. A single colony dominated the intestinal lumen smear and was identified as Candida manassasensis by polymerase chain reaction targeting 18S ribosomal RNA. The same microorganism was also detected in the sturgeons' feed. Antifungal resistance was examined using the VITEK 2 system, and the isolate was susceptible to voriconazole, caspofungin, micafungin, and flucytosine. The environmental stress factor for this case was speculated as decreased water temperature. Since similar cases have been observed for many years, further research to optimize precise treatment and prevention methods is required.

Investigation of Pathogenic Escherichia coli Contamination of Vegetables Distributed in a Korean Agricultural Wholesale Market.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the monthly contamination rate of pathogenic Escherichia coli, a major cause of food poisoning, in vegetables sold in agricultural wholesale markets, which distribute vegetables from all over the country, in the Incheon Metropolitan City area, South Korea, and to identify a source of the pathogen. In total, 1739 vegetables of 80 types, along with 109 soil, 67 manure, and 33 livestock feces samples, were tested for pathogenic E. coli using polymerase chain reaction, from September 2016 through August 2017. The average annual prevalence rate of vegetables was 5.8%, and the prevalence rate was above 5% from June through October. The highest prevalence rate (15.7%) was recorded in July. Water dropwort showed the highest prevalence rate (28.6%) among the vegetables examined. Pathogenic E. coli was detected in >20 types of the vegetables that were to be consumed without cooking. Among these, the prevalence rates of ponytail radish (n = 21), crown daisy (n = 86), young radish (n = 68), romaine lettuce (n = 133), perilla leaf (n = 103), Korean leek (n = 43), young Chinese cabbage (n = 68), and Chinese cabbage (n = 30) were 9.5%, 8.1%, 7.4%, 6.8%, 4.9%, 4.7%, 4.4%, and 3.3%, respectively. Among the vegetables cooked before consumption, prevalence rates were 28.6%, 27.3%, and 25.0% in wormwood, sweet potato stalk, and edible mountain vegetables (Saussurea sp., etc.), respectively. In soil, manure, and livestock feces, 36.7%, 26.9%, and 90.6% prevalence rates were confirmed, respectively. This study confirmed the pathogenic E. coli contamination of vegetables to be consumed without cooking. Therefore, to produce agricultural products that do not induce food poisoning and are safe for consumption, it is important to develop a process for killing the pathogenic microorganisms and set up a sanitary environment for effectively managing compost. In addition, it is necessary to establish surveillance systems to monitor the production chain.

Vaccination of fish against Aeromonas hydrophila infections using the novel approach of transcutaneous immunization with dissolving microneedle patches in aquaculture.

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a novel route of administration for vaccinating fish against Aeromonas hydrophila infection using a dissolving microneedles (MNs) patch. The A. hydrophila JUNAH strain was inactivated with formalin and used as a vaccine antigen. It was mixed with dissolvable carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the matrix material to produce the MNs patches. When examined with a scanning electron microscope, each patch has 282 uniformly distributed, pyramid-shaped needles on a circular base. In the skin insertion experiment, the MNs patches were confirmed to be capable of penetrating the skin of the fish. Through agglutination assay and analysis of non-specific parameters like lysozyme and superoxide dismutase, it was verified that the antigen embedded into the patch induced adaptive and innate immune responses in the fish. In the challenge experiment, the group inoculated with the MNs patch and the group injected with formalin killed cells (FKC) showed a similar survival rate. Our results suggest that the FKC-loaded MNs patch is a wholly viable method alternative to injection for the vaccination of fish.

Genomic characterization of bacteriophage pEt-SU, a novel phiKZ-related virus infecting Edwardsiella tarda.

A bacteriophage infecting Edwardsiella tarda (named pEt-SU) was isolated from freshwater collected in Chung-ju, South Korea. The whole genome of pEt-SU was 276,734 bp in length, representing the first giant phage infecting Edwardsiella reported to date. A total of 284 putative open reading frames were predicted and annotated. Morphology and genome analyses verified that pEt-SU may be distantly related to the phiKZ-like phages, a well-known giant myovirus. The findings in this study provide new insights into the phages infecting E. tarda ads well as fundamental data for the study of giant phages.

Pseudomonas tructae sp. nov., novel species isolated from rainbow trout kidney.

This study describes the biochemical and phylogenetic characteristics of a Gram-negative strain, SNU WT1T, isolated from rainbow trout kidney. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that strain SNU WT1T was highly similar to Pseudomonas wadenswilerensis CCOS 864T and closely related to other Pseudomonas putida-related strains. Multilocus sequence analysis of concatenated partial gyrB, rpoB and rpoD sequences revealed that strain SNU WT1T was distinct from P. putida-related strains and formed a separate clade. The average nucleotide identity and Genome-to-Genome Distance Calculator values were 90.19 and 41.7 %with its closest relative P. wadenswilerensis CCOS 864T; however, it was phenotypically distinct from CCOS 864T with respect to arginine dihydrolase, glucose fermentation, aesculin hydrolysis and N-acetyl-glucosamine assimilation. The major polar lipid of the strain was phosphatidylethanolamine and the major quinone was Q-9. The genome of strain SNU WT1T had 5 685 196 bp with a G+C content of 61.83 mol%. We describe a novel species of genus Pseudomonas, for which the name Pseudomonastructae has been proposed, with SNU WT1T (=KCTC 72265=JCM 33436) as the type strain.

Immunostimulation of Cyprinus carpio using phage lysate of Aeromonas hydrophila.

Over the last 50 years, various approaches have been established for the development of antigens for immunostimulation. We used phage lysate (PL), composed of inactivated antigens by the lytic bacteriophage pAh 6-c for Aeromonas hydrophila JUNAH strain to develop a vaccine for the prevention of A. hydrophila infection in Cyprinus carpio (common carp). We also assessed the poly D,L lactide-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) microparticles encapsulation method to increase the efficiency of the vaccine. Six groups of vaccines involving encapsulated by PLGA, formalin killed cells, or phage lysate at low or high concentration were prepared for intraperitoneal injection in C. carpio. Blood specimens and head kidney samples were collected at various time points for bacterial agglutination assay and to assess relative expression of immune-related genes interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), lysozyme C, and serum amyloid A (SAA). The vaccine groups using high dose phage lysate antigen showed significantly higher agglutination titers than all other groups at 4- and 6-weeks post vaccination (wpv), with the titer of the PLGA encapsulated vaccine group being highest from 10 wpv to the end of the experiment. The survival rate of fish immunized with the phage lysate vaccines were higher than that of fish immunized with the formailin killed cells vaccine in the challenge experiment conducted 6 wpv. Additionally, the PLGA-encapsulated high dose phage lysate antigen vaccinated groups showed the best protective efficacy in the challenge experiment 12 wpv. Vaccines using the phage lysate antigen also showed higher IL-1ß and lysozyme C gene expression at 7 days post vaccination (dpv) and 2 wpv, and higher TNF-α gene expression was seen at 7 dpv. Higher SAA gene expression was seen in these groups at 1 dpv. These results suggest that phage lysate antigen has the potential to induce robust immune responses than formalin killed cells-based vaccines, and could be more effective as a novel inactivated antigen in preventing A. hydrophila infection in C. carpio.

Enhanced bath immersion vaccination through microbubble treatment in the cyprinid loach.

Immunization by bath immersion is likely the simplest method of fish vaccination. Although the route of immunogenicity has not been fully identified, immersion vaccination is clearly a useful labor-saving technique. In this study, microbubble (MB) treatment was assessed for its ability to improve the efficacy of bath immersion vaccination in the cyprinid loach. MBs are commonly defined as minute particles of gas with a diameter of less than 100 µm, which generated free radicals. Here, the efficacy of MB treatment for vaccination enhancement in the cyprinid loach was assessed in direct challenge experiments using the virulent Aeromonas hydrophila JUNAH strain; assessments comprised agglutination titer assay and non-specific parameter analysis. Agglutination titers were high in loaches that were immunized via injection with inactivated cells (FKC group); however, non-specific immune activation parameters (e.g., lysozyme, superoxide dismutase, and phagocytic activity) were more increased in loaches that were immunized via bath immersion with MB treatment. Moreover, MB-treated loaches showed comparable survival rates, relative to loaches immunized via injection with formalin inactivated cells. Thus, higher levels of non-specific immune parameters suggest increased efficacy of this vaccine approach. Improving the effectiveness of bath immersion vaccine will increase its affordability and ease of application in aquaculture.

Application of the bacteriophage pVco-14 to prevent Vibrio coralliilyticus infection in Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) larvae.

Vibrio coralliilyticus infects a variety of shellfish larvae, including Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) larvae worldwide, and remains a major constraint in marine bivalve aquaculture practice, especially in artificial seed production facilities. In this study, we isolated and characterized the bacteriophage (phage) that specifically infects V. coralliilyticus. The phage was designated pVco-14 and classified as Siphoviridae. We also investigated the potential efficacy of the isolated phage against V. coralliilyticus infection. We conducted a survey to replace the overuse of antibiotics, which generate multi-antibiotic-resistant strains and causes environmental pollution. The latent period of pVco-14 was estimated to be approximately 30 min, whereas the burst size was 13.3 PFU/cell. The phage was found to infect four strains of tested V. coralliilyticus. pVco-14 was stable at wide temperature (4-37 °C) and pH (5.0-9.0) ranges. Eighty-one percent of oyster larvae died in an immersion challenge at a dose 1.32 × 105 CFU/ml of virulent V. coralliilyticus (strain 58) within 24 h. When oyster larvae were pre-treated with the phage before the bacterial challenge (bacterial conc.: 1.32 × 104 and 1.32 × 105 CFU/ml), mortality of the phage-treated oyster larvae was lower than that of the untreated control. These results suggest that pVco-14 has potential to be used as a prophylactic agent for preventing V. coralliilyticus infection in marine bivalve hatcheries and can reduce the overuse of antibiotics.

Comparative Study of the Effect of Paranasal Augmentation With Autologous Bone in Orthognathic Surgery.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of the 3 orthognathic surgical options among the patients who had had mandibular prognathism with a concave midfacial profile. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 72 patients with mandibular prognathism with a concave midfacial profile were divided into 3 groups. We compared the lateral profile changes using lateral cephalograms. The images were taken before surgery (T0) and at least 6 months to 1 year after surgery (T1). After computerization of the preoperative cephalograms (T0), the surgical changes (T1 minus T0) were measured by computerizing the postoperative cephalograms. Group 1 (n = 21) had undergone bilateral sagittal split osteotomies, group 2 (n = 36) had undergone bilateral sagittal split osteotomy with autologous bone paranasal augmentation, and group 3 (n = 15) had undergone bilateral sagittal split osteotomies and Le Fort I osteotomy. RESULTS: After surgery, all the landmarks and values showed changes. Among them, quantitative changes could be observed in all the cheek points and cheek lines. The average of the overall cheek points had increased by ∼0.56 mm in group 1, ∼1.85 mm in group 2, and ∼2.39 mm in group 3, horizontally. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest approximately comparative values among the 3 surgical options for patients and surgeons considering orthognathic surgery. In addition, autologous bone paranasal augmentation can be considered as an alternative for Le Fort I osteotomy in specific conditions.

A 3-Dimensional Analysis of Nasal Cavity Volume After Maxillary Le Fort I Osteotomy.

PURPOSE: Two- and 3-dimensional studies on changes of the pharyngeal airway after a Le Fort I osteotomy have been conducted, but there are few studies on the change of nasal structure. The nasal cavity is the first passage through which air enters during respiration. Movement of the maxilla by Le Fort I osteotomy affects the shape of the nasal cavity and the shape of other parts of the airway. This study compared preoperative and postoperative changes of the nasal cavity volume after a maxillary Le Fort I osteotomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre- and postoperative computed tomograms of 32 patients were assessed for nasal cavity volume according to the direction of maxillary movement. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (22 men and 10 women) were classified according to the direction of maxillary movement: maxillary impaction (group I; 8 men and 6 women) and maxillary impaction and advancement (group II; 14 men and 4 women). Nasal cavity volume was markedly decreased after the Le Fort I osteotomy in groups I and II. Group I showed a positive correlation between the ratio of impaction and the ratio of volume difference. Group II showed no correlation between the ratio of impaction or advancement and the ratio of volume difference. CONCLUSION: Impaction and advancement of the maxilla decreased nasal volume.

Effectiveness of hemocoagulase, tranexamic acid, and their combination for reducing blood loss in bimaxillary orthognathic surgery: a retrospective study.

Objectives: Orthognathic surgery is a corrective intervention for maxillofacial deformities. Bleeding is a major concern for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Various agents, such as hemocoagulase, tranexamic acid, and aprotinin have been developed to reduce intraoperative bleeding and transfusion requirements. Therefore, in this study we aimed to investigate the effects of hemocoagulase and tranexamic acid, as well as their simultaneous use, to reduce bleeding during orthognathic surgery. Patients and. Methods: This retrospective study included patients who had undergone simultaneous orthognathic surgery of the maxilla and mandible between January 2013 and September 2022 and were classified into three groups based on drugs administered: hemocoagulase (Botropase), tranexamic acid, and a combination of both drugs. We recorded patient age, sex, weight, blood loss, and duration of surgery. Red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet levels were measured before, immediately after, and one day after surgery. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in blood loss, RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, or platelet levels between any of the groups. There were no differences in the drug effects between Le Fort I and bilateral mandibular sagittal split osteotomies, with or without double genioplasty. However, there were significant reductions in RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet levels during genioplasty. Conclusion: Tranexamic acid, hemocoagulase, and their combination had similar efficacy in patients who underwent Le Fort Ⅰ and bilateral mandibular sagittal split osteotomies with and without genioplasty.

Changes in a facial recognition algorithm following different types of orthognathic surgery: a comparative study.

Objectives: Contemporary biometric technologies have been gaining traction in both public and private security sectors. Facial recognition is the most commonly used biometric technology for this purpose. We aimed to evaluate the ability of a publicly available facial recognition application program interface to calculate similarity scores of presurgical and postsurgical photographs of patients who had orthognathic surgery. Materials and Methods: Presurgical and postsurgical photographs of 75 patients who had orthognathic surgery between January 2018 and November 2020 in our department were used. Frontal photographs of patients in relaxed and smiling states were taken. The patients were classified into three groups: Group 2 had one-jaw surgery, Group 3 had two-jaw surgery to correct mandibular prognathism, and Group 4 had two-jaw surgery to correct facial asymmetry. For comparison, photographs of 10 participants were used as controls (Group 1). Two facial recognition application programs (Face X and Azure) were used to assess similarity scores. Results: The similarity scores in the two programs showed significant results. The similarity score of the control group, which did not undergo orthognathic surgery, was the highest. The results for Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4 were higher in the order of Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4. Conclusion: In this study, all orthodontic patients were recognized as the same person using the face recognition program before and after surgery. A significant difference in similarity results was obtained between the groups with both Face X and Azure and in both relaxed and smiling states.

Sagittal split ramus osteotomy, intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy, and lateral corticectomy for asymmetric mandibular prognathism.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the postoperative anteroposterior stability and improvements in facial asymmetry after performing LeFort I osteotomy in the maxilla, sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) and intraoral vertical ramus osteotomy (IVRO) in the mandible, and lateral corticectomy on the IVRO side. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 2009 to October 2018, a retrospective analysis was performed on 11 subjects. Lateral cephalometric radiograph was performed preoperatively (T0), postoperatively (T1), and at 12 months of follow-up (T2), and the B point distance was measured. Posteroanterior cephalometric radiograph was performed preoperatively (S0) and at 12 months of follow-up (S1) and was used to measure five indicators (Ag angle, M-Ag, Co-Ag, Co-Me, and Ag-Me) of facial asymmetry. RESULTS: The B point distances for T0 and T1 were significantly different (P=0.007), whereas those for T1 and T2 were not significantly different (P=0.1). In addition, there was a significant difference between the B point distances of T2 and T0 (P=0.026). Comparison of the facial asymmetry indicators before and after surgery showed a significant difference for all indicators between S0 and S1: the P-values of Ag angle, M-Ag, Co-Ag, Co-Me, and Ag-Me were 0.003, 0.003, 0.008, 0.006, and 0.004, respectively. The Z value was based on negative ranks. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the B point distances from postoperation to the 12-month follow-up. However, there were significant differences in all five indicators related to facial asymmetry before and after surgery. The values for the five indicators of facial asymmetry all increased postoperatively.

Two Novel Bacteriophages Control Multidrug- and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Biofilm.

As a primary bacterial pathogen in companion animals, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius has zoonotic potential. This pathogen exhibits multidrug resistance, including resistance to methicillin, and biofilm-forming ability, making it hard to eradicate with antimicrobial agents. One potential alternative is bacteriophage therapy. In this study, we first characterized the antimicrobial resistance profile of S. pseudintermedius from canine samples and isolated two novel bacteriophages, pSp-J and pSp-S, from canine pet parks in South Korea to potentially control S. pseudintermedius. The biological characteristics of phages were assessed, and the phages could infect most of the methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius strains. We found that these phages were stable under the typical environment of the body (~37°C, pH 7). We also assessed bacterial lysis kinetics using the two phages and their cocktail, and found that the phages could prevent biofilm formation at low doses and could degrade biofilm at high doses. Taken together, this study demonstrates that bacteriophages pSp-J and pSp-S isolated in this study can be used to potentially treat methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius.

Immunostimulation by starch hydrogel-based oral vaccine using formalin-killed cells against edwardsiellosis in Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica.

Edwardsiellosis outbreaks cause significant losses in Japanese eel aquaculture. The causative agent, Edwardsiella tarda, is an intracellular pathogen, and the use of antibiotics has a limited effectiveness. As Japanese eels are sensitive to stress, injection vaccines are not recommended for treatment; immersion methods are less stressful, but not cost-effective. Alternatively, oral vaccination methods are more promising. The aim of this study was to develop a starch hydrogel-based oral (SHO) vaccine against edwardsiellosis in Japanese eel, using formalin-killed cells. To assess the protective effect, we compared SHO vaccine with the conventional formalin-killed cell (FKC) vaccine. A bacterial agglutination test showed that agglutination titers in SHO-vaccinated group were higher than in the FKC-vaccinated group. Japanese eel survival rate (%) was monitored after challenge by E. tarda at four weeks post-vaccination. Survival rates in the FKC group (60%, first trial; 70%, second trial) were lower than in SHO groups. Percentage survival rates in three SHO groups (first and second trials, respectively) were as follows: 70% and 80% in the group vaccinated once per day for one day; and 80% and 90% in both groups vaccinated for four and eight days. Additionally, a boost SHO vaccination at 46 days prompted a similar or even higher protection against edwardsiellosis than after the initial vaccination. Both FKC and SHO vaccination upregulated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α), and host defense cytokine (interferon (IFN)-α) in all immunized groups of fish when compared with the control. These results reveal the immunostimulation effect of SHO vaccine in Japanese eel, emphasizing its potential as an oral vaccine in aquaculture.

Synergistic phage-surfactant combination clears IgE-promoted Staphylococcus aureus aggregation in vitro and enhances the effect in vivo.

Currently, topical antibiotic treatment is a major strategy for decolonisation of Staphylococcus aureus, although it may result in antibiotic resistance or recolonisation of the organism. Recently, application of bacteriophages in the treatment of S. aureus infection has attracted attention. However, a single administration of bacteriophages did not effectively decolonise S. aureus in our first trial in vivo. Using a bacteriophage (pSa-3) and surfactant combination in vitro, we showed an increased (>8%) adsorption rate of the bacteriophage on the host. Moreover, the combination increased the eradication of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-stimulated aggregation, as the surfactant promoted the dissociation of S. aureus aggregates by decreasing the size by 75% and 50% in the absence and presence of IgE, respectively. Furthermore, the combined treatment significantly decolonised the pathogen with an efficacy double that of the phage-only treatment, and decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes (IL-1ß, IL-12 and IFNγ) for 5 days in the second in vivo trial. These results suggest that the bacteriophage-surfactant combination could act as an alternative to antibiotics for S. aureus decolonisation in patients with dermatitis.

Isolation of Chryseobacterium siluri sp. nov., from liver of diseased catfish (Silurus asotus).

Yellow-pigmented, circular bacteria (strain SNU WT7) were isolated from the liver of moribund eastern catfish (Silurus asotus). Our study focused on the taxonomic description of SNU WT7 using phylogenetic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic analyses. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the SNU WT7 strain was highly similar to that of Chryseobacterium haifense H38T (97.29% similarity), followed by Chryseobacterium hominis P2K6T (97.22% similarity), while other species exhibited similarity values of less than 97.0%. The genome of strain SNU WT7 displayed average nucleotide identity and genome-to-genome distance values of 72.35% and 22.0%, respectively, which clearly indicated that the novel species was distant from the other Chryseobacterium species, with its closest relative being C. haifense H38T. Furthermore, the phenotypic characteristics, including acid production from glucose, D-fructose, lactose, and maltose, of strain SNU WT 7 differed from those of C. haifense H38T. The major polar lipid of the strain was phosphatidylethanolamine, and several unidentified aminolipids and lipids were also present. Similar to other Chryseobacterium species, the quinone system was composed mainly of MK-6. The genome of SNU WT7 is 2,690,367 bp with a G + C content of 43.6%. Taken together, our data indicate that the isolate SNU WT7 represents a novel species of the genus Chryseobacterium. Thus, we present the name Chryseobacterium siluri sp. nov. for the novel type strain SNU WT7T (KCTC 72626, JCM 33707).

Characterization and Pathological Analysis of a Virulent Edwardsiella anguillarum Strain Isolated From Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Korea.

Edwardsiella species are one of the top causative pathogens of mortality in various fisheries worldwide. Their role in zoonotic infections and increase in antibiotic-resistance has raised concerns and interests in many research fields. Similar to the studies investigating human clinical cases, there has been an increase in research examining the potential pathogenic role of the bacterium in aquaculture. Within the Edwardsiella family, Edwardsiella anguillarum was lastest group to be differentiated from the Edwardsiella tarda group, and many studies focusing on the virulence of this species have since ensued. In Korea, only E. tarda infections have been reported in aquaculture industries, and there have been no reports on economic losses incurred owing to E. anguillarum infection. There has been a recent report investigating the pathogenicity and pathological changes caused by E. anguillarum infection in a tilapia farm located in the Costa Rica. To the best of our knowledge, as ours is the first report of E. anguillarum infection in a Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) farm located in an Asian country, the pathogenicity of the bacterial strain was histopathologically compared to that of the past studies. As tilapia is one of the most globally consumed fish species, particularly throughout Asia, Europe, and America, an epidemiological study regarding the disease distribution is necessary for the control and prevention of the disease. Here, we report the first mass mortality case caused by E. anguillarum infection in a Nile tilapia farm located in Korea; the bacterial strain responsible was isolated, characterized, and pathologically analyzed.

Identification and Genome Analysis of Vibrio coralliilyticus Causing Mortality of Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) Larvae.

Vibrio coralliilyticus is known as a coral pathogen that also infects marine bivalve larvae worldwide. It is considered to be one of the major constraints in artificial marine bivalve seed production as it causes mortality. In this study, we first isolated and characterized a high virulent of V. coralliilyticus designated as SNUTY-1 that was the cause of Pacific oyster larvae mortality in Korea. In the pathogenicity test, exposure to 2.14 × 105 CFU/mL for 24 h caused mortality to 88.65 ± 2.4% of the tested healthy Pacific oyster larvae. SNUTY-1 showed anti-microbial resistance to ß-lactams, such as penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. We sequenced and assembled the complete genome of SNUTY-1 (5,842,676 bp), consisting of two chromosomes (Chr I and Chr II) and two plasmids (pSNUTY1 and pSNUTY2). The COG functional analysis confirmed that Chr I had more genes associated with basic cellular functions in comparison to Chr II. The results of the phylogenetic trees based on OrthoANI values indicated that the SNUTY-1 was closely related to V. coralliilyticus strains. SNUTY-1 had a unique plasmid (pSNUTY2), which could mean that the Korean isolate is different from other sequenced V. coralliilyticus strains from different geographical origins. Toxic proteins such as cytolysin/hemolysin and extracellular metalloprotease genes were encoded on Chr I and Chr II of SNUTY-1. These data facilitate the control of V. coralliilyticus infections in aquaculture by providing valuable insights into the biodiversity of this organism and valuable information for the study of virulence factors.

Staphylococcus xylosus Infection in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) As a Primary Pathogenic Cause of Eye Protrusion and Mortality.

Staphylococcal infections are extensively investigated in humans owing to the resistance of staphylococci to diverse antibiotics commonly used in hospitals. The resistance mechanism of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has garnered the interest of researchers due to its risk to the global public health. Furthermore, the zoonotic potential of staphylococci has led to increased interest in their transmission mechanism via food, livestock, as well as domestic and wild animals. Although fish are globally consumed, there are only few studies on the potential threat of staphylococcal infection in aquatic animals. In this study, we present the first description of Staphylococcus xylosus infection and its pathogenicity in rainbow trout, which resulted in fish mortality and economic losses in trout fisheries. We focused on the pathogenic role of the bacterium and its influence on rainbow trout based on the clinical symptoms in the eyes. Staphylococcus xylosus infection induced exophthalmia and disrupted the primary immune barrier, which increased the possibility of other secondary bacterial infections in fish under poor conditions, resulting in continuous mortality.