Rescue of fish exposed to a lethal dose of pathogen, by signals from sublethally exposed survivors.

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum) were challenged intraperitoneally with a sublethal dose of Vibrio anguillarum VIB1 and allowed to recover. Then, after 7 days, naïve fish, (designated as 'bystander' fish) which had never been exposed to the pathogen, were introduced to the same tank. These swam with the adapted (recovered) fish for 7 days before both groups and a control (never exposed directly to the pathogen or to recovered fish) group were exposed to a lethal dose of VIB1. Mortality records were 100% in the control group within 3 days, 47% in the adapted group and 60% in the unchallenged bystander group, which swam with the adapted group. In both the latter groups, the time to death of the non-surviving fish was attenuated. This inter-animal communication of signals has previously been documented for animals exposed to ionizing radiation. Assays of tissues from control, challenged and 'bystander fish exposed to the pathogen showed that a signal as yet unidentified but similar to that seen in bystanders to irradiated fish was being produced. This signal caused a sharp and transient increase in intracellular calcium and a decrease in clonogenicity in a well-characterized reporter assay.

Development of Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae (Myxozoa: Malacosporea) in bryozoan hosts (as examined by light microscopy) and quantitation of infective dose to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The myxozoan parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae is the causative agent of proliferative kidney disease (PKD), a highly damaging disease of cultured salmonid fish. Within this study, phylactolaemate bryozoans were collected from a river known to be endemic for PKD and subsequently cultured in the laboratory. Sequential developmental stages of T. bryosalmonae were studied by light microscopy within the living bryozoan colonies, allowing the identification of stages attached to host peritoneum, consistent with previous molecular evidence of cryptic stages. Infection resulted in the production of large numbers of spores, which were released from the bryozoans. Experimental exposure of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to medium in which infected bryozoans were cultured resulted in clinical PKD. Rainbow trout were exposed to known numbers of T. bryosalmonae spores collected by micromanipulation, which had been released from mature spore sacs within colonies of the bryozoan Fredericella sultana. Exposure to one spore was sufficient to lead to development of PKD. These findings indicate that small numbers of bryozoans are capable of releasing sufficient spores to infect large numbers of fish, having implications for future control methods for PKD in salmonid farming.