Real-time RT-qPCR assay to detect sequences in the Piscine orthoreovirus-1 genome segment S1 associated with heart and skeletal muscle inflammation in Atlantic salmon.

During the last decade, Piscine orthoreovirus was identified as the main causative agent of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in Atlantic Salmon, Norway. A recent study showed that PRV-1 sequences from salmonid collected in North Atlantic Pacific Coast (NAPC) grouped separately from the Norwegian sequences found in Atlantic Salmon diagnosed with HSMI. Currently, the routine assay used to screen for PRV-1 in NAPC water and worldwide cannot differentiate between the two groups of PRV-1. Therefore, this study aimed at developing a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay to target the PRV-1 genome segments specific for variants associated with HSMI. The assay was optimized and tested against 71 tissue samples collected from different regions including Norway, Chile and both coast of Canada and different hosts farmed Atlantic Salmon, wild Coho Salmon and escaped Atlantic Salmon collected in British Columbia, West Coast of Canada. This assay has the potential to be used for screening salmonids and non-salmonids that may carry PRV-1 potentially causing HSMI.

Pathology of experimentally induced mouthrot caused by Tenacibaculum maritimum in Atlantic salmon smolts.

Mouthrot, caused by Tenacibaculum maritimum is a significant disease of farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar on the West Coast of North America. Smolts recently transferred into saltwater are the most susceptible and affected fish die with little internal or external clinical signs other than the characteristic small (usually < 5 mm) yellow plaques that are present inside the mouth. The mechanism by which these smolts die is unknown. This study investigated the microscopic pathology (histology and scanning electron microscopy) of bath infected smolts with Western Canadian T. maritimum isolates TmarCan15-1, TmarCan16-1 and TmarCan16-5 and compared the findings to what is seen in a natural outbreak of mouthrot. A real-time RT-PCR assay based on the outer membrane protein A specific for T. maritimum was designed and used to investigate the tissue tropism of the bacteria. The results from this showed that T. maritimum is detectable internally by real-time RT-PCR. This combined with the fact that the bacteria can be isolated from the kidney suggests that T. maritimum becomes systemic. The pathology in the infected smolts is primarily mouth lesions, including damaged tissues surrounding the teeth; the disease is similar to periodontal disease in mammals. The pathological changes are focal, severe, and occur very rapidly with little associated inflammation. Skin lesions are more common in experimentally infected smolts than in natural outbreaks, but this could be an artefact of the challenge dose, handling and tank used during the experiments.

Correction: Concurrent jellyfish blooms and tenacibaculosis outbreaks in Northern Norwegian Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farms.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187476.].

Concurrent jellyfish blooms and tenacibaculosis outbreaks in Northern Norwegian Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farms.

Tenacibaculosis is an increasing problem in the Norwegian Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry causing significant economic losses. In September 2015, two separate outbreaks of suspected tenacibaculosis occurred at two Atlantic salmon farms in Finnmark County in Northern Norway. The events resulted in major losses of smolts newly transferred into seawater. Prior to, and during the outbreaks, large numbers of small jellyfish, identified as Dipleurosoma typicum (Boeck) were observed in the vicinity of the farms and inside the net-pens. This study investigates the possible link between the jellyfish, Tenacibaculum spp. and the tenacibaculosis outbreaks. Bacteriology, histology, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and real-time RT-PCR screening were performed on both fish and jellyfish samples. Based on the findings, Tenacibaculum finnmarkense was found to be the dominant bacteria associated with the tenacibaculosis outbreaks at both sites and that D. typicum is unlikely to be a vector for this fish pathogenic bacterium. However, results do show that the jellyfish caused direct damage to the fish's skin and may have exacerbated the bacterial infection by allowing an entry point for bacteria.

Primary Isolation and Characterization of Tenacibaculum maritimum from Chilean Atlantic Salmon Mortalities Associated with a Pseudochattonella spp. Algal Bloom.

This study presents the first isolation of Tenacibaculum maritimum from farmed Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar in Chile. The isolate, designated T. maritimum Ch-2402, was isolated from gills of Atlantic Salmon at a farm located in region X, Los Lagos, Chile, during the harmful algal bloom caused by Pseudochattonella spp. in February 2016. The algal bloom is reported to have caused 40,000 metric tons of mortality in this salmon farming area. The bacterium T. maritimum, which causes tenacibaculosis, is recognized as an important pathogen of marine fish worldwide. Genetic, phylogenetic, and phenotypic characterizations were used to describe the T. maritimum Ch-2402 isolate. The isolate was similar to the type strain of T. maritimum but was genetically unique. Tenacibaculum dicentrarchi isolates were also recovered during sampling from the same farm. Based on the fact that T. maritimum has been shown to cause disease in Atlantic Salmon in other regions, the presence of this bacterium poses a potential risk of disease to fish in the Chilean aquaculture industry. Received November 6, 2016; accepted May 29, 2017.