Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 2019

November 19 - 22, 2019

San Jose, Costa Rica

EPITHELIOCYSTIS DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERIZATION IN BROWN TROUT Salmo trutta FROM THE HEADWATERS OF TWO MAJOR EUROPEAN RIVERS, THE RHINE AND THE RHONE

Maricruz Guevara Soto 1, Lloyd Vaughan2,4, Helmut Segner1, Thomas Wahli 1, Beatriz Vidondo 3 and Heike Schmidt-Posthaus 1
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Centre of Fish and Wildlife Health, Unirsity of Bern, Bern Switzerland.
2Departoment of Pathobiology, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
3Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health Institute, University of Bern, Bern , Switzerland.
4Pathovet AG, Tagelwangen, Switzerland.
 

We present a first description of the distribution and characterization of epitheliocystis infections in brown trout (Salmo trutta) from the upper catchments of two major European

rivers, the Rhine and the Rhone. Overall, epitheliocystis was widely distributed, with

70% of the Rhine and 67% of the Rhone sites harboring epitheliocystis positive trout.

The epitheliocystis agents Candidatus Piscichlamydia salmonis and Candidatus

Clavichlamydia salmonicola could be identified in both catchments, although their

relative proportions differed from site to site. Additionally, in two rivers in the Rhine

catchment, a new species of Candidatus Similichlamydia was identified. Based on the

histology, infection intensity, and severity of pathological changes were significantly more

pronounced in mixed chlamydial infections, whereas single infections showed only low

numbers of cysts and mild pathology. Infections could be found over a wide range of

temperatures, which showed no correlation to infection prevalence or intensity.

Keyword: Candidatus Piscichlamydia salmonis, Candidatus Clavichlamydia salmonicola, Candidaatus Similichlamydia sp, epitheliocystus, surver, Switzerland, catchment.

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