Estimation of variation of virulence of Renibacterium salmoninarum by survival analysis of experimental infection of salmonid fish |
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| Authors: | O B Dale S K Gutenberger & J S Rohovec |
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| Institution: | National Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway,;Laboratory for Fish Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA |
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| Abstract: | The variation of virulence of Renibacterium salmoninarum , the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD) in salmonid fish, was studied by infecting rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), with two isolates (strains 325 and 932) from diseased Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., and one isolate (strain 4366) from an apparently healthy Atlantic salmon. Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum), were injected with the strain 932 to estimate difference in fish species resistance. Fish were removed by random sampling for other study purposes, a study design possible with analysis of lifetime distributions incorporating both sampling-, death- and survival-times. At the end of the experiment, the rainbow trout infected with strains 325, 932 and 4366 had a survival probability of 33%, 51% and 72%, respectively. The coho salmon infected with strain 932 had a 26% survival probability. The strain differences were significant according to the log-rank test, and the risk ratio between the strains ranged from 1·8 to 5·4. The strain from the apparently healthy fish was least virulent. The survival of the fish species was different over time. Rainbow trout were more likely to die early in the time course, but high numbers of coho died later, resulting in an overall risk of mortality of 1·4 in favour of rainbow trout. Differences in virulence may reflect changed selective pressure on R. salmoninarum when introduced from feral stocks into the environment of fish farms. |
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