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Modeling Tuberculosis in Mycobacterium marinum Infected Adult Zebrafish
Published on: October 8, 2018
Tenacibaculum maritimum infection: pathology and immunohistochemistry in experimentally challenged turbot (Psetta
Luis Daniel Faílde1, Ana Paula Losada, Roberto Bermúdez
1Departamento de Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain.
Abstract:
Tenacibaculum maritimum is the causative agent of tenacibaculosis, a bacterial disease with a worldwide distribution, which causes important losses in the turbot aquaculture. Despite the importance of this bacterium, little is known about pathogenesis of the tenacibaculosis, pattern of lesions and the portal of entry of T. maritimum. Turbots (Psetta maxima) were experimentally infected with T. maritimum using subcutaneous and intraperitoneal routes of inoculation and samples of skin and internal organs were taken throughout the assay. Fish inoculated by both infection routes suffered a septicaemia but only the subcutaneous inoculation reproduces the disease signs described in natural outbreaks. Bacterial antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry in the internal organs 3 h after infection in fish inoculated by subcutaneous route and 6 h after the inoculation of fish by intraperitoneal route. In summary, both routes of inoculation are able to cause an infection and bacteraemia in the fish. However, subcutaneous inoculation route reproduces the disease in a faster and more reliable way than the intraperitoneal route. Moreover, bacterium spreads along the internal organs easily, but needs a gateway to penetrate in the organism and this portal of entry could be skin.
Insights
Tenacibaculum maritimum causes tenacibaculosis in turbot aquaculture. Subcutaneous infection in turbot (Psetta maxima) reliably reproduces disease signs, indicating skin as a potential entry point for this pathogen.
Area of Science:
- Aquatic animal health
- Bacteriology
- Fish pathology
Background:
- Tenacibaculum maritimum causes tenacibaculosis, a significant disease in turbot aquaculture globally.
- Limited knowledge exists regarding tenacibaculosis pathogenesis, lesion patterns, and T. maritimum's entry route.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathogenesis of tenacibaculosis in turbot (Psetta maxima).
- To determine the portal of entry for Tenacibaculum maritimum.
- To compare subcutaneous and intraperitoneal inoculation routes for disease modeling.
Main Methods:
- Experimental infection of turbot with T. maritimum via subcutaneous and intraperitoneal routes.
- Collection of skin and internal organ samples for analysis.
- Detection of bacterial antigen using immunohistochemistry.
Main Results:
- Both inoculation routes led to septicemia, but subcutaneous inoculation mimicked natural disease outbreaks.
- Bacterial antigen was detected in internal organs within 3-6 hours post-infection.
- Subcutaneous inoculation provided a faster and more reliable disease model.
Conclusions:
- Subcutaneous inoculation is superior for modeling tenacibaculosis in turbot.
- T. maritimum can spread systemically but requires a portal of entry, likely the skin.
- Further research should focus on the skin as the primary entry route for T. maritimum.
