Vet Med - Czech, 2003, 48(3):71-78 | DOI: 10.17221/5752-VETMED

Mycobacterial infection in aquarium fish

P. Lescenko, L. Matlova, L. Dvorska, M. Bartos, O. Vavra, S. Navratil, L. Novotny, I. Pavlik
1 , L. M 2, L. D 2, M. B 2, O. V 3, S. N 1, L. N 1, I. P 2 1University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
2 Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
3 State Veterinary Institute, Jihlava, Czech Republic

In the first part of the study, 70 aquarium fish of different species, originating from stocks from the CzechRepublic, were pathomorphologically examined for the presence of granulomatous lesions. Granulomas were diagnosed in 44 (62.9%) fish. From these, acid fast rods (AFR) were found in 29 (65.9%) by staining according to Ziehl-Neelsen (Z-N). In the remaining 26 (37.1%) fish without granulomatous lesions, the presence of AFR was microscopically proven in 3 (11.5%) fish. In the second part of the study, direct microscopic examinations accord­ing to Z-N and culture examinations for the presence of mycobacteria were carried out in 17 randomly selected fish of the Apistogramma cacatuoides, Trichogaster leeri, Trichogaster trichopterus, Pterophyllum scalare, Paracheirodon axelrodi species with the pathomorphological discovery of granulomas. Mycobacteria were culturally found in 12 (70.6%) fish. Mycobacterium marinum, pathogenic for fish, was isolated from 6 fish, of which in one M. triviale was found at the same time and in two M. avium mixed serotypes 6, 8 and 9 (genotype IS901-, IS1245+). M. gordonae was isolated from a further 6 fish, of which in two M. avium mixed serotypes 6, 8 and 9 (genotype IS901-, IS1245+) was also isolated at the same time. A mixed infection of more species of mycobacteria was therefore found in five fish. In these it may be assumed that the mycobacteria of the M. triviale and M. avium mixed serotypes 6, 8 and 9 (genotype IS901-, IS1245+), non-pathogenic for fish, came from the water environment and "merely contaminated" the tissues of the fish.

Keywords: mycobacteriosis; granulomas, serotyp

Published: March 31, 2003  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Lescenko P, Matlova L, Dvorska L, Bartos M, Vavra O, Navratil S, et al.. Mycobacterial infection in aquarium fish. Vet Med - Czech. 2003;48(3):71-78. doi: 10.17221/5752-VETMED.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Alinovi A., Vecchini F., Bassissi P. (1993): Sporothricoid mycobacterial infection - a case-report. Acta DermaVenereol., 73, 146-147. Go to original source...
    2. Ang P., Ra ana-Apiromyakij N., Goh C.L. (2000): Retrospective study of Mycobacterium marinum skin infections. Int. J. Dermatol., 39, 343-347. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. Antonio D.B., Swanson C., Cech J.J., Mager R.C., Doroshov S., Hedrick R.P. (2000): Prevalence of Mycobacterium in wild and captive delta smelt. Calif. Fish Game, 86, 233-243.
    4. Arakawa C.K., Fryer J.L. (1984): Isolation and characterization of a new subspecies of Mycobacterium chelonei infectious for salmonid fish. Helgolander Meeresun., 37, 329-342. Go to original source...
    5. Arakawa C.K., Fryer J.L., Sanders J.E. (1986): Serology of Mycobacterium chelonei isolated from salmonid fish. J. Fish Dis., 9, 269-271. Go to original source...
    6. Astrofsky K.M., Schrenzel M.D., Bullis R.A., Smolowitz R.M., Fox J.G. (2000): Diagnosis and management of atypical Mycobacterium spp. infections in established laboratory zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) facilities. Comp. Med., 50, 666-672. Go to PubMed...
    7. Bataillon E., Dubard R., Terre U. (1897): Un nouveau type de tuberculose. C. R. Soc. Biol., 49, 446-449.
    8. Bha y M.A., Turner D.P.J., Chamberlain S.T. (2000): Mycobacterium marinum hand infection: case reports and review of literature. Brit. J. Plast. Surg., 53, 161-165. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    9. Bragg R.R., Huchzermeyer H.F., Hanisch M.A. (1990): Mycobacterium fortuitum isolated from three species of fish in South Africa. Onderstepoort J. Vet. Res., 57, 101-102.
    10. Bruno D.W., Griffiths J., Mitchell C.G., Wood B.P., Fletcher Z.J., Drobniewski F.A., Hastings T.S. (1998): Pathology a ributed to Mycobacterium chelonae infection among farmed and laboratory-infected Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Dis. Aquat. Org., 33, 101-109. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Chang P.H., Plumb J.A. (1996): Histopathology of experimental Streptococcus sp. infection in tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.) and channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque). J. Fish Dis., 19, 235-241. Go to original source...
    12. Chen S.C. (1992): Study on the pathogenecity of Nocardia asteroides to the formosa snakehead, Channa maculata (Lacepide). J. Fish Dis., 15, 47-53. Go to original source...
    13. Colorni A., Avtalion R., Knibb W., Berger E., Colorni B., Timan B. (1998): Histopathology of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) experimentally infected with Mycobacterium marinum and treated with streptomycin and garlic (Allium sativum) extract. Aquaculture, 160, 1- 17. Go to original source...
    14. Conroy G., Conroy D.A. (1999): Acid-fast bacterial infection and its control in guppies (Lebistes reticulatus) reared on an ornamental fish farm in Venezuela. Vet. Rec., 144, 177-178. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    15. Dalsgaard I., Mellergaard S., Larsen J.L. (1992): Mycobacteriosis in cod (Gadus-Morhua L) in Danish coastal waters. Aquaculture, 107, 211-219. Go to original source...
    16. Daoust P.Y., Larson B.E., Johnoson G.R. (1989): Mycobacteriosis in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) from two lakes in Alberta. J. Wild. Dis., 25, 31-37. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    17. DeMartinez M.C.C., Richards R.H. (1991): Histopathology of vitamin C deficiency in a cichlid, Cichlasoma urophthalmus (Gunther). J. Fish Dis., 14, 507-519. Go to original source...
    18. Diamant A., Banet A., Ucko M., Colorni A., Knibb W., Kvi H. (2000): Mycobacteriosis in wild rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus associated with cage farming in the Gulf of Eilat, Red Sea. Dis. Aquat. Org., 39, 211-219. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    19. Dvorska L., Havelkova M., Bartos M., Bartl J., Pavlik I. (1999a): Insertion sequences of mycobacteria and their use in the study of epidemiology of mycobacterial infections (in Czech). Vet. Med. - Czech, 44, 233-251.
    20. Dvorska L., Parmova I., Lavickova M., Bartl J., Vrbas V., Pavlik I. (1999b): Isolation of Rhodococcus equi and atypical mycobacteria from lymph nodes of pigs and ca le in herds with the occurrence of tuberculoid gross changes in the Czech Republic over the period 1996- 1998. Vet. Med. - Czech, 44, 321-330.
    21. Dvorska L., Bartos M., Martin G., Erler W., Pavlik I. (2001): Strategies for differentiation, identification and typing of medically important species of mycobacteria by molecular methods. Vet. Med. - Czech, 46, 309-328. Go to original source...
    22. Dykova I., Lom J., Machackova B., Sawyer T.K. (1996): Amoebic infection in goldfishes and granulomatous lesions. Fol. Parasitol., 43, 81-89.
    23. Edelstein H. (1994): Mycobacterium marinum skin infections - report of 31 cases and review of the literature. Arch. Int. Med., 154, 1359-1364. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    24. Fiedler Z., Mazurova J., Novotny L., Dvorak P. (2000): Rapid diagnosis of mycobacterial infection in a Carassius auratus by specific DNA detection (in Czech). Veterinarstvi, 50, 223-224.
    25. Fischer O., Matlova L., Bartl J., Dvorska L., Melicharek I., Pavlik I. (2000): Findings of mycobacteria in insectivores and small rodents. Fol. Microbiol., 45, 147-152. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. Gomez S., Navarro J.A., Gomez M.A., Sanchez J., Bernabe A. (1996): Comparative study of immunohistochemical methods to diagnose mycobacteriosis in swordtail Xiphophorus helleri. Dis. Aquat. Org., 24, 117-120. Go to original source...
    27. Goslee S., Wolinsky E. (1976): Water as a source of potentially pathogenic mycobacteria. Am. Rev. Respir. Dis., 113, 287-292. Go to PubMed...
    28. Guerrero C., Bernasconi C., Burki D., Bodmer T., Telenti A. (1995): A novel insertion element from Mycobacterium avium, IS1245, is a special target for analysis of strain relatedness. J. Clin. Microbiol., 40, 304-307. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    29. Hatai K., Lawhavinit O., Toda K., Sugou Y. (1993): Mycobacterium infection in pejerrey, Odonthestes bonariensis Cuvier and Valenciennes. J. Fish Dis., 16, 397-402. Go to original source...
    30. Hatai K., Nakamura K., Rha S.A., Yuasa K., Wada S. (1994): Aphanomyces infection in dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia). Fish Pathol., 29, 95-99. Go to original source...
    31. Heckert R.A., Elankumaran S., Milani A., Baya A. (2001): Detection of a new Mycobacterium species in wild striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay. J. Clin. Microbiol., 39, 710-715. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    32. Herbst L.H., Costa S.F., Weiss L.M., Johnson L.K., Bartell J., Davis R., Walsh M., Levi M. (2001): Granulomatous skin lesions in moray eels caused by a novel Mycobacterium species related to Mycobacterium triplex. Infect. Immun., 69, 4639-4646. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    33. Horvathova A., Kazda J., Bartl J., Pavlik I. (1997): Occurrence of conditionally pathogenic mycobacteria in the environment and their effect on the human and animal body (in Slovak). Vet. Med. - Czech, 42, 191-212. Go to PubMed...
    34. Inglis V., Roberts R.J., Bromage N.R. (1993): Mycobacteriosis: nocardiosis. In: Bacterial Diseases of Fish. Blackwell Science, 1st ed. 219-233.
    35. Jernigan J.A., Farr B.M. (2000): Incubation period and sources of exposure for cutaneous Mycobacterium marinum infection: case report and review of the literature. Clin. Infect. Dis., 31, 439-443. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    36. Kazda J. (2000): The Ecology of the Mycobacteria. 1st ed. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London. 72 pp.
    37. Kiesch N. (2000): Aquariums and mycobacterioses. Rev. Med. Brux., 21, 255-256.
    38. Kunze Z.M., Portaels F., McFadden J.J. (1992): Biologically distinct subtypes of Mycobacterium avium differ in possession of insertion sequence IS901. J. Clin. Microbiol., 30, 2366-2372. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    39. Kusuda R., Kawai K. (1998): Bacterial diseases of cultured marine fish in Japan. Fish Pathol., 33, 221-227. Go to original source...
    40. Lehane L., Rawlin G.T. (2000): Topically acquired bacterial zoonoses from fish: a review. Med. J. Austral., 173, 256-259. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    41. Matlova L., Fischer O., Kazda J., Kaustova J., Bartl J., Horvathova A., Pavlik I. (1998): Occurrence of mycobacteria in invertebrates and poikilothermic animals and their role in man and other animals (in Czech). Vet. Med. - Czech, 43, 115-132.
    42. Mijs W., de Haas P., Rossau R., van der Laan T., Rigouts L., Portaels F., van Soolingen D. (2002): Molecular evidence to support a proposal to reserve the designation Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium to bird-type isolates and M. avium subsp. hominissuis for the human/porcine type of M. avium. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 52, 1505-1518. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    43. Navratil S., Palikova M., Vesely T. (2000): Most frequent diseases of exotic fish and a case report on lymphocystosis (in Czech). Veterinarstvi, 50, 225-227.
    44. Noga E.J. (1995): Fish disease. Diagnosis and treatment. 1st ed. Mosby. 367 pp.
    45. Pavlik I., Svastova P., Bartl J., Dvorska L., Rychlik I. (2000): Relationship between IS901 in the Mycobacterium avium complex strains isolated from birds, animals, humans and environment and virulence for poultry. Clin. Diag. Lab. Immun., 7, 212-217. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    46. Perera R.P., Fiske R.A., Johnson S.K. (1998): Histopathology of hybrid tilapias infected with a biotype of Streptococcus iniae. J. Aquat. Anim. Health, 10, 294-299. Go to original source...
    47. Perez A.T., Conroy D.A., Quinones L. (2001): Presence of acid-fast bacteria in wild and cultured silver mullets (Mugil curema VAL., 1836) from Margarita Island Venezuela. Interciencia, 26, 252-256.
    48. Roberts R.J., Schlotfeldt H.J. (1985): Grundlagen der Fischpathologie. 1st ed. Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin, Hamburg. 425 pp.
    49. Roberts R.J., Rodger H.D (2001): The pathophysiology and systematic pathology. In: Roberts R.J. (ed.): Fish Pathology. 3rd ed. W.B. Saunders, London, Toronto. 55-132.
    50. Rodgers C.J., Furones M.D. (1998): Disease problems in cultured marine fish in the Mediterranean. Fish Pathol., 33, 157-164. Go to original source...
    51. Ristola M.A., Von Reyn C.F., Arbeit R.D., Soini H., Lumio J., Ranki A., Buhler S., Waddell R., Tosteson A.N.A., Falkinham J.O., Sox C.H. (1999): High rates of disseminated infection due to non-tuberculous mycobacteria among AIDS patients in Finland. J. Infect., 39, 61-67. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    52. Rychlik I., Pavlik I. (1997): Molecular genetics methods in identification and differentiation of bacterial strains and species (in Czech). Vet. Med. - Czech, 42, 111-123. Go to PubMed...
    53. Sanders G.E., Swaim L.E. (2001): Atypical piscine mycobacteriosis in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). Com. Med., 51, 171-175.
    54. Seiberras S., Jarnier D., Guez S., Series C. (2000): Mycobacterium marinum nodular lymphangitis. Presse Med., 29, 2094-2095. Go to PubMed...
    55. Shoemaker C.A., Evans J.J., Klesius P.H. (2000): Density and dose: factor affecting mortality of Streptococcus iniae infected tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Aquaculture, 188, 229-235. Go to original source...
    56. Shih J.Y., Hsueh P.R., Chang Y.L., Chen M.T., Yang P.C., Luh K.T. (1997): Osteomyelitis and tenosynovitis due to Mycobacterium marinum in a fish dealer. J. Formosan Med. Assoc., 96, 913-916.
    57. Smith S.A. (1997): Mycobacterial infections in pet fish. Semin. Av. Exot. Pet. Med., 6, 40-45. Go to original source...
    58. Speight E.L., Williams H.C. (1997): Fish tank granuloma in a 14-month-old girl. Pediatr. Dermatol., 14, 209-212. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    59. Stoskopf M.K. (1993): Fish Medicine. W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, Tokyo. 882 pp.
    60. Street M.L., Umbert-Millet I.J., Roberts G.D., Su W.P.D. (1991): Non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections of the skin. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol., 24, 208-215. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    61. Süssland Z., Hrdinova V. (1976): Use of rapid agglutination in the serotyping of the Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (in Czech). Vet. Med. - Czech, 21, 209-213. Go to PubMed...
    62. Talaat A.M., Reimschuessel R., Trucksis M. (1997): Identification of mycobacteria infecting fish to the species level using Polymerase Chain Reaction and Restriction Enzyme Analysis. Vet. Microbiol., 58, 229-237. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    63. Talaat A.M., Trucksis M., Kane A.S., Reimschuessel R. (1999): Pathogenicity of Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium smegmatis to goldfish, Carassius auratus. Vet. Microbiol., 66, 151-164. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    64. Teska J.D., Twerdok L.E., Beaman J., Curry M., Finch R.A. (1997): Isolation of Mycobacterium abscessus from Japanese medaka. J. Aquat. Anim. Health, 9, 234-238. Go to original source...
    65. Thoen C.O., Schliesser T.A. (1984): Mycobacterial infections in cold-blooded animals. In: Kubica G.P., Wayne L.G. (eds.): The Mycobacteria, Part B. 1st ed. New York and Basel. 1471 pp.
    66. Tortoli E., Bartoloni A., Bozze a E., Burrini C., Lacchini C., Mantella A., Penati V., Simone i M.T., Ghi ino C.

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content