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At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS1979

Histopathology of yearling sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) infected with infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN)

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) is generally believed to be a virus disease of very young salmonids. In recent years there have been increasing numbers of unpublished reports that this disease has been occurring uncharacteristically in fish as old as 7-14 months. Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) of this age the histological changes were not severe. Intestinal tract granular cells thought to be pathognomic in young fish were conspicuously absent. Kidney imprints showed necrobiotic bodies however, and subtle changes were observed in the spleen and kidney hematopoietic tissue.

Fish Pathology↗
USGS1985

Direct fluorescent antibody technique for the detection of bacterial kidney disease in paraffin-embedded tissues

The direct fluorescent antibody technique (FAT) was successfully used to detect the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD), Renibacterium salmoninarum, in Bouin's solution flexed and paraffinembedded egg and tissue sections. This method is superior to gram stain and may be particularly useful in detecting the BKD organism in fish with low-grade infection.

Fish Pathology↗
USGS1985

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibody against infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus

A hybridoma cell line that continually secretes antibody against infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus was developed and designated M-IHNV-W1. Antibodies in culture fluids were concentrated and purified by Protein A Sepharose CL-4B affinity chromatography. The immunoglobulin was isotyped as IgG 2b with a kappa light chain. The IgG was specific for infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus and had binding activity but low neutralizing activity. Little cross-reactivity occurred with viral hemorrhagic septicemia or infectious pancreatic necrosis viruses.

Fish Pathology↗
USGS1990

Establishment of a cell line with reticulo-endothelial characteristics from a rainbow trout spleen explant

A cell line from rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) with phagocytic-like characteristics was established. First we found that it was necessary to inject the fish with antibiotics (penicillinstreptomycin) in order to clear tissue of bacterial contamination. Two days later, the spleen was excised and minced with scissors in MEM10. The large number of erythrocytes in the suspension were removed by low centrifugation, then the tissue fragments were incubated on tissue culture flasks at 18°C for 30 days with complete changes of media every other day. After 30 days in culture, primary explants from spleen were composed of three types of cells. The majority were large mononucleate, plecmorphic cells with thinly spread cytoplasm. These cells were trypsinized and subcultured. Another cell types was simple, round cells, somewhat similar to mature lymphocytes, while the third type appeared to be similar to fibroblastic cells. After 9 months with the culture in 17 to 20 passages, the predominate cell type was showing similarities to phagocytic cell. These cells had a marked reticular cytoplasm and grew individually without parallel orientations. By enzyme-specific stains, the cells were observed to have abundant acid phosphatase and β-glucuronidase activities of the cytoplasm. They were negative for peroxidase. The cells were also found to have highly adherent and phagocytic properties when incubated with latex particles. The morphological, enzymatic, and functional findings suggested the possibility that these cells in culture have some properties similar to the cells which are composed of reticulo-endothelial system.

Fish Pathology↗
USGS1991

Comparison of genome size and synthesis of structural proteins of Hirame Rhabdovirus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, and viral hemorrhagic Septicemia virus

Genomic RNA was extracted from purified virions of hirame rhabdovirus (HRV), infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). The full-length RNA was analyzed using formaldehyde agarose gel electrophoresis followed by ethidium bromide staining. Compared with an internal RNA size standard, all three viral genomic RNAs appeared to have identical relative mobilities and were estimated to be approximately 10.7 kilobases in length or about 3.7 megadaltons in molecular mass. Structural protein synthesis of HRV, IHNV, and VHSV was studied using cell cultures treated with actinomycin D. At 2 h intervals, proteins were labeled with 35 S-methionine, extracted, and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. The five structural proteins of each of the three viruses appeared in the following order : nucleoprotein (N), matrix protein 1 (M1), matrix protein 2 (M2), glycoprotein (G), and polymerase (L) reflecting both the approximate relative abundance of each protein within infected cells and the gene order within the viral genome.

Fish Pathology↗
USGS1998

Correlation between plasma component levels of cultured fish and resistance to bacterial infection

Mortalities of yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata artificially infected with Lactococcus garvieae and of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss artificially infected with Vibrio anguillarum were compared with the levels of plasma components measured prior to challenge. The levels of plasma total cholesterol, free cholesterol and phospholipid of fish surviving infection were significantly higher in both yellowtail and rainbow trout than those of fish which died during the challenge test. Mortality of yellowtail with plasma total cholesterol levels lower than 250 mg/100 ml was significantly higher than that of fish which had cholesterol levels higher than 275 mg/100 ml (p < 0.05). Rainbow trout whose cholesterol was lower than 520 mg/100 ml suffered a significantly higher mortality due to vibriosis than fish having cholesterol levels higher than 560 mg/100 ml (p < 0.005). These results indicate that low levels of plasma lipid components may be an indicator of lowered disease resistance in cultured fish.

Fish Pathology↗
USGS1984

SF Snieszko

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Fish Pathology↗
USGS2012

A multi-metric assessment of environmental contaminant exposure and effects in an urbanized reach of the Charles River near Watertown, Massachusetts

The Charles River Project provided an opportunity to simultaneously deploy a combination of biomonitoring techniques routinely used by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program, the Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends Project, and the Contaminant Biology Program at an urban site suspected to be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In addition to these standardized methods, additional techniques were used to further elucidate contaminant exposure and potential impacts of exposure on biota. The purpose of the study was to generate a comprehensive, multi-metric data set to support assessment of contaminant exposure and effects at the site. Furthermore, the data set could be assessed to determine the relative performance of the standardized method suites typically used by the National Water Quality Assessment Program and the Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends Project, as well as the additional biomonitoring methods used in the study to demonstrate ecological effects of contaminant exposure. The Contaminant Effects Workgroup, an advisory committee of the U.S. Geological Survey/Contaminant Biology Program, identified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as the contaminant class of greatest concern in urban streams of all sizes. The reach of the Charles River near Watertown, Massachusetts, was selected as the site for this study based on the suspected presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination and the presence of common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ), largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ), and white sucker ( Catostomus commersoni ). All of these fish have extensive contaminant-exposure profiles related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other environmental contaminants. This project represented a collaboration of universities, Department of the Interior bureaus including multiple components of the USGS (Biological Resources Discipline and Water Resources Discipline Science Centers, the Contaminant Biology Program, and the Status and Trends of Biological Resources Program), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Samples for analyzing water chemistry, sediment chemistry and toxicity, fish community structure, tissue chemistry, and fish (20 carp, 20 bass, and 40 white sucker) and invertebrate pathology were collected in late August, 2005. This report provides results from the analyses of fish pathology, biomarkers of exposure and effects (reproductive, carcinogenic, genotoxic, and immunologic), sediment chemistry, toxicity, and fish and invertebrate community structure.

Massachusetts↗
USGS1966

Some effects of Heptachlor on bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus)

In complementary studies of the chronic effects of heptachlor on bluegills, four similar earthen ponds were treated once with different concentrations of heptachlor, and the fish in six plastic pools were routinely fed different levels of heptachlor. A fifth pond and two plastic pools were used as controls. Higher dosages resulted in higher concentrations of heptachlor residues, more pronounced tissue pathology, and higher mortality in the test fish. Heptachlor reached a maximum in the pond fish about 3 days after treatment, and could no longer be found in the fish or mud after 56 days. The fish fed continuous levels of heptachlor developed their highest residues at 56 days. Invertebrate populations in the two higher treatment level ponds were eliminated. Lesser effects appeared in the two lower concentrations. At the termination of the experiment, invertebrate populations in the treated ponds and the control were not significantly different, and had achieved or surpassed pretreatment levels. Degenerative liver lesions became pronounced in fish from the two higher exposure ponds, but a heavy infestation of trematode metacercariae in the fish of all the test ponds, except the control, clouded further interpretation of histopathological examinations. Pathology results from the fish in the feeding test, although inconclusive, tended to support the trends which were developing in the contact test. There was an inverse proportional relationship between growth of fish in the feeding test and the amount of heptachlor introduced. The control group showed the highest growth rate, and the groups with progressively higher intake of heptachlor had progressively lower growth rates.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS2003

Protozoal and epitheliocystis-like infections in the introduced bluestripe snapper (Lutjanus kasmira) in Hawaii

The bluestripe snapper, or taape, was introduced into Hawaii in the 1950s and has since become very abundant throughout the archipelago. As part of a health survey of reef fish in Hawaii, we necropsied 120 taape collected from various coastal areas south of Oahu and examined fish histology for extraintestinal organisms. Forty-seven percent of taape were infected with an apicomplexan protozoan compatible with a coccidian. Infection was evident mainly in the spleen and, less commonly, the kidney. Prevalence of this coccidian increased with size of fish, and we saw no significant pathology associated with the organism. Twenty-six percent of taape were also infected with an epitheliocystis-like organism that occurred mainly in the kidney and, less commonly, the spleen. In contrast to the coccidian, fish mounted a notable inflammatory response to the epitheliocystis-like organism, and this inflammation appeared to increase in severity with age. Prevalence of the epitheliocystis-like organism infection increased with age, but infection was not seen in fish greater than 26.5 cm fork length. The high prevalence of coccidial infection in introduced taape prompts the concern that these organisms, along with the epitheliocystis-like organism, have the potential to be transmitted to native reef fish. Given the impact of other introduced microbial organisms on native Hawaiian fauna, there is a clear need to assess whether protozoa and bacteria are endemic to Hawaii, and whether they negatively impact native reef fish that closely associate with taape.

Hawai'i↗
USGS2019

Skin and fin diseases

Fish are critically important to the welfare of this planet and its occupants, the health of both wild and captive fish populations paramount to our survival. This book presents the gross pathology of the most commonly encountered diseases and syndromes of fish in an organ system-based approach. It provides an overview of the diseases and disorders of tropical, ornamental, bait and food fish from freshwater, brackish and marine environments. Readers will gain a broader understanding of the basic biology of infectious and non-infectious diseases in fish, as well as novel diagnostic techniques and innovative disease control methods.

Book chapter↗
USGS1994

Pathology of sea otters

In the months following the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), 994 sea otters ( Enhydra lutris ) from oil-spill-affected areas died (Doroff et al. 1993). Carcasses collected from these areas and otters that died in rehabilitation centers are included in this number. The actual number that died was probably much greater. Within days of the spill, the Exxon Company (USA) funded an effort to rehabilitate oil-contaminated sea otters (Davis 1990). Initially, clinical veterinarians working on the rehabilitation effort performed partial necropsies on some of the sea otters that died. Soon, veterinary pathologists from the University of Alaska and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided assistance. Later, rehabilitation centers were constructed and other veterinarians with special training in pathology were hired by Exxon to provide diagnostic support. In late April 1989, veterinary pathologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) assumed responsibility for pathologic evaluation of oil-spill-affected sea otters. The USFWS requested assistance from veterinary pathologists of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) in June 1989. Eventually, as part of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment program, AFIP veterinary pathologists were asked to carry out histopathological studies of the tissue specimens collected by all parties and to perform necropsies on carcasses that had been collected and frozen. A veterinary clinical pathologist was requested to assess hematology and clinical chemistry findings in otters that had been held in the rehabilitation centers. In spite of the best efforts of many dedicated people working under extremely difficult conditions, there are significant limitations in the pathological studies. The absence of a detailed necropsy protocol and of full documentation of necropsy findings during the first several weeks after the spill resulted in important data being lost. Often, samples of all major organs were not collected. In some cases, no necropsy report was available. Specimens for toxicologic analysis for petroleum hydrocarbons were not consistently collected. The absence of a detailed toxicology protocol suggests that the samples may not have been collected properly. The lack of a consistent numbering system for identification of specimens caused major problems; some samples were useless because they could not be identified. Many blood samples could not be transported to laboratories quickly enough to prevent significant deterioration of the samples because of inclement weather and the remote locations of the rehabilitation centers. Thus, in a number of cases, data could not be used because significant deterioration of the specimens was considered likely to have occurred. Since more than one laboratory was used to analyze blood samples, problems with comparability of results were encountered. The laboratory tests were performed to aid the clinical veterinarians in diagnosis and treatment of individual animals, not as part of a consistent protocol; thus, there is variation in the amount and type of laboratory data available for each otter. These problems illustrate the need for development of contingency plans that include detailed protocols before disasters occur.

Alaska↗
USGS2008

A new species of Henneguya (myxozoa) in the big-eyed scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) from Hawaii

We describe a new myxozoan, Henneguya akule n. sp., infecting the carangid fish Selar crumenophthalmus in Hawaii. Spores were found only in the aortic bulb, characterized by elliptical capsule with 2 tails, and pyriform polar capsules that angled toward the anterior end of the spore. Polar filaments had 3–4 coils. Parasites were present in apparently healthy fishes and caused no evident gross pathology. On microscopy, parasites evinced a mild inflammatory response in the host characterized by accumulations of eosinophilic fibrillar material around spores and a mononuclear infiltrate in the adventitia of the bulbus arteriosus. Overall prevalence was 20%, and prevalence between 2001 and 2006 ranged from 12 to 27%, but did not differ significantly between years. In contrast, prevalence of infection was highest in south-central Oahu. There was no relationship between infection status and body condition or gender of fish, and infection was absent in the smallest and largest fishes. Phylogenetically, H. akule n. sp. is most closely related to other Henneguya species infecting the heart of marine fishes based on ribosomal DNA analysis. This is the first documentation of a myxozoan parasite in marine fishes from Hawaii.

Hawai'i↗
USGS2002

Illustrated field guide for assessing external and internal anomalies in fish

Procedures are described for processing fish for examination of external and internal anomalies and pathologies indicative of exposure to environmental contaminants and other peturbations. For the procedures described here, fish are captured (preferably by electrofishing) and held alive until processing (generally < 1 h). Fish are weighed, measured, and necropsied, and a scale sample is obtained from for age determination. Information is given for the collection and preservation of tissue samples for histopathological analysis. Photographs of most abnormalities are included along with normal conditions for easier identification of external (oral, head, eye, gill, opercula, and fin) and internal (liver, spleen, gonad, and kidney) anomalies. The report also includes recommendations for record keeping, sample labeling, and shipping records, equipment, supplies,and samples. A list of suggested equipment and supplies for field processing is included as are instructions for cleaning equipment.

Information and Technology Report↗
USGS2026

Poor population recovery of Lake Washington Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in Pacific Northwestern USA may be associated with disease caused by Ceratonova shasta in an urban-influenced watershed

Understanding the effects of anthropogenic changes on fish disease is vital for supporting mitigative actions for fisheries population recovery. The Lake Washington watershed in the Pacific Northwestern United States is influenced by high urban development and climate change, compromising the sustainability of anadromous salmon. We investigated Ceratonova shasta , a myxozoan parasite, in Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha to determine the impacts of C. shasta -induced enteronecrosis during salmon freshwater migrations within this watershed. All sampled adult Chinook Salmon returning to an enhancement hatchery to spawn were infected with genotype I C. shasta with a high prevalence of severe enteritis and enteronecrosis. Parasite loads and associated pathology were more severe in adult fish succumbing to prespawn mortality than in fish that spawned. Natural prespawn mortality of Chinook Salmon in the Cedar River was also associated with high C. shasta loads. Sentinel exposure studies with Chinook Salmon juveniles in the spring and fall demonstrated high levels of C. shasta genotype II actinospores in the Lake Washington Ship Canal, a human engineered canal that salmon must traverse in their freshwater migrations from the Puget Sound. The sentinel juvenile Chinook Salmon succumbed to clinical disease and high mortality from genotype II C. shasta , suggesting that these stocks have high susceptibility to this genotype. The results show that both genotypes I and II pose disease risks to adult and juvenile stages of Chinook Salmon in the watershed, and that the Lake Washington Ship Canal could be a C. shasta ‘hot spot’ for genotype II that may increase disease risk for juveniles during smolt emigration.

Washington↗
USGS1991

In vivo and in vitro transfer of trout spleen sections for early analysis of the immune response

To determine the earliest time after in vivo immunisation that the spleen could be excised and held in vitro to detect an immune response, lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) were exposed to DNP-Ficoll or Yersinia ruckeri O antigen administered by intraperitoneal injection or by bath. The spleens were excised from the fish at selected times after immunisation, placed in vitro and held in tissue culture media at 14°C until 10 days after the in vivo immunisation. They then were analysed for an immune response by counting the numbers of plaqueforming cells (PFC). PFC were first detected in samples taken 3 days after injection with either antigen. With bath immunisation, however, PFC were first seen 6 days post-immunisation when using the Y. ruckeri O antigen and no PFC above background levels appeared in fish bathed in the DNP-Ficoll solution. On day 10 after immunisation, the spleens taken directly from immunised fish always produced more PFC than when the spleens were taken through in vitro culture. A unique feature of this method, is that an immune response to an antigen may be detected by excising the spleen and holding it in in vitro culture without necessarily holding the fish for long periods of time after antigen injection or bath. This technique also adds more information on how rapidly the bacterins or antigens are processed by fish to initiate an immune response.

Fish and Shellfish Pathology↗