First observation of rickettsia-like organisms in cultured sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in Turkey

Timur G., Timur M., Akayli T., Korun J., Thompson K.

BULLETIN OF THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF FISH PATHOLOGISTS, cilt.25, sa.5, ss.196-202, 2005 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 25 Sayı: 5
  • Basım Tarihi: 2005
  • Dergi Adı: BULLETIN OF THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF FISH PATHOLOGISTS
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.196-202
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This paper describes the first observation of rickettsia-like organisms (RLOs) in cultured European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in Turkey. Generally, fish infected by the organism were anorexic, lethargic and experienced high levels of mortality during disease outbreaks. Internally, most of the affected fish exhibited grey to yellow coloured multifocal nodules in their kidneys and spleens. Although Listonella (Vibrio) anguillarum and Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida were isolated from diseased fish, clinical and pathological examination also indicated the presence of RLOs in diseased sea bass. Histopathologically, multifocal necrosis of parenchyma cells of the spleen, liver, kidney skeletal and heart muscle was observed, associated with an inflammatory reaction. Diseased fish also contained what appeared to be RLOs within the cytoplasmic vacuoles of their blood monocytes. The presence of RLOs in tissues of diseased fish was confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC).