Vibrio infection in freshwater fish in Poland.

Vibrio species are common inhabitants of aquatic environments and have been described in connection with fish and human diseases. Six Vibrio species were isolated from diseased freshwater and ornamental fish in Poland. The strains were identified based on morphological and biochemical characteristics and confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) as V. albensis (n=3) from Gymnocephalus cernua, Sander lucioperca, Paracheirodon innesi, and Xiphophorus hellerii; V. mimicus (n=1) from Xiphophorus maculatus; and V. vulnificus (n=1) from Nematobrycon palmeri. This is the first time that Vibrio species have been isolated and described from ornamental fish in Poland. The isolates were resistant to ampicillin (83.3%), gentamicin (16.6%), ciprofloxacin (16.6%), sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (16.6%), and chloramphenicol (16.6%). The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was 0.00-0.08 for V. albensis, 0.17 for V. mimicus, and 0.33 for V. vulnificus. Our study confirmed the presence of potentially pathogenic Vibrio species in freshwater and ornamental fish. Therefore, further monitoring of the presence of Vibrio species, mainly in ornamental fish, is necessary.

Comparison of serum protein profiles of Borrelia burgdorferi-positive Bernese Mountain Dogs and dogs of other breeds using MALDI-TOF technique.

The aim of the study was to compare the serum protein profile of Bernese Mountain Dogs (BMDs) reacting positive for Bb in snap testing with the serum protein profile of dogs of other breeds (healthy and with clinical borreliosis) using the MALDI time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) technique. The observations included five groups of dogs. BMDs reacting positively to Bb in snap serological testing and showing symptoms of borreliosis (group 1), BMDs for which no borreliosis symptoms were determined but with seropositivity for Bb determined with snap serological tests (group 2), clinically healthy BMDs with no antibodies for Bb found in the serum (group 3), five dogs of different breeds, reacting positively in serological testing, in which borreliosis symptoms were observed (group 4), clinically healthy dogs of different breeds with negative reaction in tests towards Bb (group 5). A proteomic analysis demonstrated the presence of five identical protein fractions among all five groups. An additional two protein fractions of approximately 7.630 and 15.260 kDa were found in all the serum samples obtained from the dogs positive for borrelia in a snap test, both in those exhibiting symptoms of borreliosis, and seropositive BMDs not presenting symptoms of the disease. These two additional protein fractions may be used to differentiate between seropositive and seronegative B. burgdorferi dogs and may be considered a seropositivity marker, however, it cannot be used to differentiate between animals with the clinical form of the disease and those that are only seropositive.