Experimental challenges with Renibacterium salmoninarum in Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus.

Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus L. is an important species in Icelandic aquaculture and the most common wild salmonid in Iceland. A study on the course of infection with the bacterium Renibacterium salmoninarum was conducted using 3 different challenge methods in brackish and fresh water. Bacterial isolation, ELISA and PCR tests were used for detection of the bacterium in multiple organ samples. In an experiment, run for 34 wk in brackish water, infection was established by intraperitoneal injection with 5 × 106 colony forming units (CFU) fish-1. There were external and internal symptoms of bacterial kidney disease (BKD) and mortalities between 6 and 13 wk after injection. A cohabitation trial was run simultaneously and infection was well established after 4 wk, as demonstrated by the detection methods applied. Symptoms of BKD were not seen and all but 1 cohabitant survived. In a separate experiment, infection was established by pumping a fixed amount of water from a tank with fingerlings infected by intraperitoneal injection into tanks with naïve fish, in fresh or brackish water, for 6 wk. Fish in the inflow tanks were reared for an additional 3 wk. There were neither macroscopic symptoms nor mortalities. ELISA and PCR tests showed that infection started to take hold after 3 wk. The challenge trials demonstrated that Arctic charr is susceptible to R. salmoninarum. Cohabitation and inflow of water from tanks with infected fish provide useful models for further studies on R. salmoninarum infection acquired in a natural way in Arctic charr.

Levels of Renibacterium salmoninarum antigens in resident and anadromous salmonids in the River Ellidaár system in Iceland.

In relation to stock enhancement programmes, wild salmon broodfish have been routinely screened for the presence of Renibacterium salmoninarum antigens (Rs-Ag) for decades. A sudden increase in the prevalence of Rs-Ag experienced caused extensive problems to this industry as eggs from positive fish are discarded. The prevalence and level of Rs-Ag were examined in resident and anadromous salmonids in the River Ellidaár system and the progress of Rs-Ag in a cohort of salmon followed. Both prevalence and Rs-Ag levels were high in resident salmonids and emigrating salmon smolts in the river system. When the smolts re-entered their home river as adults the following summer, they were almost free of Rs-Ag, but the longer they stayed in the river, the more Rs-Ag they acquired; the majority being positive at spawning. This study demonstrates a high level of Rs-Ag in salmonids in the River Ellidaár system which significantly reduces in the salmon during its seawater phase. Accordingly, it seems ideal to sample salmon broodfish as soon as possible after ascending the river and subsequently transfer to Rs-free environment for storage until stripping, which could result in lower Rs-prevalence and minimize the problems that stock enhancement programmes have faced due to Rs-positive wild broodfish.

Prosorhynchoides borealis Bartoli, Gibson & Bray, 2006 (Digenea: Bucephalidae) cercariae from Abra prismatica (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Icelandic waters.

This paper reports the adult stage of Prosorhynchoides borealis (Digenea) from Lophius piscatorius in Icelandic waters and infections with the larval stages (sporocysts and cercariae) found for the first time in the bivalve Abra prismatica (Semelidae). The previously known first intermediate host was Abra alba (Semelidae). Ribosomal DNA sequencing studies on all three life stages of the parasite (cercariae, metacercariae, adults) were performed to confirm their identites. Morphometric measurements confirmed that the adult worms belong to the newly described species P. borealis. Prosorhynchoides borealis sporocysts filled with cercariae were found in 16% of A. prismatica bivalves sampled at depths between 34 and 93 m off South Iceland. Prevalence ranged from 0 to 44% between different localities. The parasite was found only in the larger bivalves. Extensive sporocyst infection in the haemocoel of the foot caused mechanical muscle damage with subsequent degeneration and necrosis. Other tissues, including the digestive gland, nephridia, gills and intestine, were less heavily infected. Only focal necrosis was observed in the digestive gland, nephridia and gills, and local atrophy in the intestine. Cercariae were also observed in the lumen of both the stomach and intestine. This is the first report of A. prismatica as an alternative first intermediate host for P. borealis. Ribosomal DNA sequence data reveals 100% homology in the data between cercariae, metacercariae and adult digeneans, supporting the morphological data suggesting that all stages belong to the same species.

Pseudobranchial X-cell pseudotumors in young wild and farmed atlantic cod Gadus morhua in Iceland.

This study investigated the prevalence of pseudobranchial X-cell pseudotumors in 2 year classes of wild juvenile cod and to a lesser extent in older cod in NW Iceland. The disease was also monitored in farmed wild-caught juvenile cod. The youngest wild cod detected that had X-cell infections were 6.5 to 13.0 cm in length, with prevalence reaching a maximum level of 7%. The highest prevalence (23%) was recorded in 18.5 to 27.0 cm fish. The mean prevalence in older cod (25.0 to 76.0 cm in length) was 7% but decreased with increasing age. The mean prevalence of X-cell pseudotumors in farmed juvenile cod was < or =1% during winter rearing in land-based tanks. Higher prevalence (2 to 15%) was noted in dead and moribund fish. Diseased farmed fish were usually emaciated, and mortality due to the disease was noticeable.

Progress of co-infections of Trichodina cooperi and T. murmanica parasitising farmed Atlantic cod Gadus morhua juveniles in Iceland.

Two year classes of wild cod juveniles, caught for on-rearing in shore-based tanks, were examined for Trichodina spp. infections at regular intervals for 9 mo. The prevalence, density and proportion of each species found was determined. Additionally, biomass, seawater temperature and salinity in the tanks was recorded regularly. Two species were identified: T. cooperi and T. murmanica. Their prevalence, density and proportion varied between sampling times, T. cooperi being the dominant species, more prevalent and in higher density in the beginning. In the following months, T. murmanica gradually increased its prevalence, density and proportion, reaching an almost total dominance in both year classes after 7 mo of rearing. The results indicate that the rearing environment on this farm favoured T. murmanica. Changes in salinity could explain this to some extent; a drop in salinity, due to an inflow of geothermal freshwater to control the temperature during the coldest months, coincided fairly well with an increasing proportion of T. murmanica. Transfer of wild fish into the rearing environment, with a subsequent increase in biomass, resulted in a proliferation of trichodinids. This may have altered the interaction between species and the competition for resources. It is conceivable that a higher host density favours one Trichodina species over the other. Temperature could also play a role. During the first 3 to 4 mo of rearing, the temperature in the tanks followed the temperature of the open sea, which dropped by 3 to 5 degrees C. This study is a part of a larger project on monitoring the progress of various infectious diseases in farmed cod of wild origin.