Applying the FAO surveillance evaluation tool (SET) to assess the fish farming disease surveillance system in Spain.

EU Member States should ensure that they implement adequate health surveillance schemes in all aquaculture farming areas, as appropriate for the type of production. This study presents the results of applying the FAO's Surveillance Evaluation Tool (SET) to assess the Spanish disease surveillance system for farmed fish species, which although applied previously in livestock production, is applied here to aquaculture for the first time. Overall, there were important score differences between trout and marine fish (seabass and seabream) surveillance, which were higher for trout in the following areas: Institutional (70.

Assessment of Sample Size Calculations Used in Aquaculture by Simulation Techniques.

An adequate sampling methodology is the key to knowing the health status of aquatic populations. Usually, the aims of epidemiological surveys in aquaculture are to detect an infection and estimate the disease prevalence, and different formulas are used to calculate the sample size. The main objective of this study was to assess if the sample sizes calculated using classical epidemiological formulas are valid considering the sampling methodology, the population size, and the spatial distribution of diseased animals in the population (non-clustered or clustered).

Proposal of a production and management index (PMI) for tilapia farms.

Tilapia is one of the most important species in aquaculture; however, there is no available index to show the performance of a production unit. It is desirable to assess the productivity using indexes, such as the production and management index for shrimps and the European production efficacy factor for broilers. These indexes are based on data production: growth, survival, and feed conversion of a full production cycle.

Nisin Z Production by Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris WA2-67 of Aquatic Origin as a Defense Mechanism to Protect Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum) Against Lactococcus garvieae.

Probiotics represent an alternative to chemotherapy and vaccination to control fish diseases, including lactococcosis caused by Lactococcus garvieae. The aims of this study were (i) to determine the in vitro probiotic properties of three bacteriocinogenic Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris of aquatic origin, (ii) to evaluate in vivo the ability of L.

Uptake and retention of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in a cohabitating population of Ruditapes decussatus and Ruditapes philippinarum under experimental conditions.

The presence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in bivalve mollusc is an important cause of foodborne illnesses, and their levels are influenced by environmental changes, such as temperature and salinity. Clams are common species in estuaries and are used in environmental monitoring programmes. Present study compared the uptake and retention of nonpathogenic V.

Accumulation and depletion kinetics of erythromycin in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Erythromycin is an antimicrobial agent recommended for the control and treatment of diseases caused by gram-positive bacteria. Few studies, however, have determined the metabolic and pharmacokinetic aspects of this antimicrobial agent in fish. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to determine the accumulation and depletion time of erythromycin after administration of medicated feed containing 52 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for 8 days in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Persistence of sucrose fermenting and nonfermenting vibrios in tissues of Manila clam species, Ruditapes philippinarum, depurated in seawater at two different temperatures.

Effective post-harvest treatment to eliminate toxigenic vibrios is an important measure to reduce risk associated with seafood consumption. In the present study, we examined whether natural populations of sucrose nonfermenting (SNFV) and sucrose fermenting vibrios (SFV) persisted in Ruditapes philippinarum, after depuration at two different temperatures. Two experiments (one in Spring and one in Summer) were performed.

Identification and characterization of lactic acid bacteria isolated from rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), with inhibitory activity against Lactococcus garvieae.

A study was conducted to evaluate the probiotic properties of endogenous rainbow trout microbiota against pathogenic Lactococcus garvieae. A total of 335 bacterial strains were isolated from rainbow trout and screened for antagonistic activity against L. garvieae using an agar spot assay.

Experimental uptake and retention of pathogenic and nonpathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in two species of clams: Ruditapes decussatus and Ruditapes philippinarum.

Aims: To describe uptake and retention of pathogenic and nonpathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Ruditapes decussatus and Ruditapes philippinarum.

Methods And Results: Ruditapes decussatus accumulated greater concentrations of pathogenic and nonpathogenic V. parahaemolyticus than R.

Lactococcus lactis subsp. tructae subsp. nov. isolated from the intestinal mucus of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The species Lactococcus lactis currently includes three subspecies; L. lactis subsp. lactis and L.

Host-microbiota interactions within the fish intestinal ecosystem.

Teleost fish are in direct contact with the aquatic environment, and are therefore in continual contact with a complex and dynamic microbiota, some of which may have implications for health. Mucosal surfaces represent the main sites in which environmental antigens and intestinal microbiota interact with the host. Thus, the gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) must develop mechanisms to discriminate between pathogenic and commensal microorganisms.

Detection and identification of tdh- and trh-positive Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains from four species of cultured bivalve molluscs on the Spanish Mediterranean Coast.

Presented here is the first report describing the detection of potentially diarrheal Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains isolated from cultured bivalves on the Mediterranean coast, providing data on the presence of both tdh- and trh-positive isolates. Potentially diarrheal V. parahaemolyticus strains were isolated from four species of bivalves collected from both bays of the Ebro delta, Spain.

Effect of fish farming on the water quality of rivers in northeast Spain.

The effects of fish farming activities on the aquatic environment were evaluated by studying the water quality of twelve rivers located in northeast Spain. Two sampling sites were used for each river: the first sampling point was located just upstream from the fish farming facilities and the second one was downstream from fish farm effluent discharge point. In order to avoid any misinterpretation due to watershed location and seasonality, a stratified statistical analysis was performed.

Effect of Lactococcus lactis CLFP 100 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides CLFP 196 on Aeromonas salmonicida Infection in brown trout (Salmo trutta).

Aeromonas salmonicida is the etiological agent of furunculosis in salmonid fish. This pathogen is important from an epizootic perspective because fish surviving an outbreak can remain lifelong asymptomatic carriers, serving as reservoirs of infection. As a result, the early detection and the control of infection are essential to prevent the spread of new furunculosis outbreaks.

Quantitative analysis of bacterial adhesion to fish tissue.

Adhesion to host tissue represents a first crucial step in most bacterial infections. Both specific adhesion-ligand as well as hydrophobic interactions may be involved. The adhesion of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp.

A new real time PCR-based assay for diagnosing Renibacterium salmoninarum in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and comparison with other techniques.

Bacterial Kidney Disease of salmonid is caused by a slow-growing gram-positive bacterium, Renibacterium salmoninarum. This bacterium lives both extra-cellular and intra-cellular in the host. Serological and molecular diagnostic methods to detect the bacterium major surface protein antigen p57 have been developed.

Enhancement of the immune response and protection induced by probiotic lactic acid bacteria against furunculosis in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

We analysed the effect of probiotic strains on the cellular and humoral immune responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and their capacity to prevent furunculosis during a challenge trial. Probiotic strains (Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis CLFP 100, Leuconostoc mesenteroides CLFP 196, and Lactobacillus sakei CLFP 202) were administered orally to fish for 2 weeks at 10(6) CFU g(-1) of feed.

Protection of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from lactococcosis by probiotic bacteria.

We analysed the effect of probiotic supplementation on the control of lactococcosis in rainbow trout. Probiotic strains Leuconostoc mesenteroides CLFP 196 and Lactobacillus plantarum CLFP 238 were administered orally to fish for 30 days at 10(7) CFU g(-1) feed. Thirty days after the start of the probiotic feeding, fish were challenged with Lactococcus garvieae.

Safety and efficacy of an inactivated vaccine against Lactococcus garvieae in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

We studied the safety and efficacy of an inactivated vaccine (Ichtiovac-Lg) against Lactococcus garvieae in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In an initial dose-response experiment to test safety, we injected 50 rainbow trout weighing 30-40 g with a double dose of vaccine (0.2 ml) intraperitoneally.

In vitro competitive adhesion and production of antagonistic compounds by lactic acid bacteria against fish pathogens.

The present study describes the screening of five lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for use as probiotics based on their competitive adhesion and production of antagonistic substances against some fish pathogens. A reduction of adhesion of all pathogenic strains tested was obtained with three of the LAB strains (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis CLFP100, Lactococcus lactis subsp.

Quantitative detection of Aeromonas salmonicida in fish tissue by real-time PCR using self-quenched, fluorogenic primers.

In this study a real-time PCR assay using self-quenched primers labelled with a single fluorophore for the detection of Aeromonas salmonicida was developed. Probe specificity was confirmed by amplification of 16 A. salmonicida strain templates and by the lack of a PCR product with 26 non-A.

Changes in intestinal microbiota and humoral immune response following probiotic administration in brown trout (Salmo trutta).

We studied the effect of several lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the humoral response of brown trout (Salmo trutta). LAB groups (Lactococcus (Lc.) lactis ssp.

Sequencing of variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene for identification of lactic acid bacteria isolated from the intestinal microbiota of healthy salmonids.

The aim of this study was to identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Thirteen LAB strains were isolated from the intestinal microbiota of healthy salmonids. A approximately 500-bp region of the highly conserved 16S rRNA gene was PCR-amplified and following this, a portion of the amplicon (272-bp) including the V1 and V2 variable regions was sequenced.

Immune modulation by probiotic strains: quantification of phagocytosis of Aeromonas salmonicida by leukocytes isolated from gut of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using a radiolabelling assay.

A method is described for the rapid and sensitive assay of phagocytosis that utilizes radioactively labelled bacteria. With this method, we observed that phagocytosis of heat-inactivated Aeromonas salmonicida by leukocytes isolated from gut of rainbow trout fed with different viable probiotics (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus sakei, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides) was significantly higher (P<0.