Open AccessApplication of multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods to detect common bacterial fish pathogens in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus , hatcheries in Costa Rica
Author(s) -
LópezPorras Adrián,
Elizondo Carolina,
Chaves Aida J.,
Camus Alvin C.,
Griffin Matt J.,
Kenelty Kirsten,
Barum Samantha,
BarqueroCalvo Elías,
Soto Esteban
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of the world aquaculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0893-8849
DOI - 10.1111/jwas.12576
Subject(s) - oreochromis , biology , nile tilapia , streptococcus iniae , francisella , tilapia , aquaculture , edwardsiella tarda , multiplex polymerase chain reaction , microbiology and biotechnology , bacterial disease , streptococcus agalactiae , polymerase chain reaction , ribotyping , oreochromis mossambicus , veterinary medicine , fishery , outbreak , virology , streptococcus , fish <actinopterygii> , bacteria , francisella tularensis , virulence , gene , medicine , genetics , biochemistry
Edwardsiella spp., Streptococcus spp., and Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis are some of the most important fish pathogens affecting global tilapia, Oreochromis spp., aquaculture. In Costa Rica, the aquaculture industry is dominated by freshwater‐cultured Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus , which are raised in all seven national provinces. At present, little is known regarding the diversity of pathogens present in these facilities, and definitive identification of agents associated with disease outbreaks are rare. To evaluate the prevalence of common bacterial pathogens in these systems, this study used multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays targeting Edwardsiella , Streptococcus , and Francisella species as a diagnostic and surveillance tool. In 2017, seven different tilapia hatcheries were visited, and 350 fingerlings were subjected to necropsy and molecular diagnostic evaluation. Fish exhibiting gross signs of disease were subjected to histological and microbiological analysis. For the first time, Edwardsiella anguillarum was recovered and molecularly confirmed from diseased tilapia in Costa Rica. In addition, F. noatunensis subsp. orientalis was identified in a region of Costa Rica where it had not been previously reported.