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ABSTRACT. Bacterial kidney disease of salmonid fishes, caused by Renibactenum salrnoninarum, was first reported more than 50 yr ago; nevertheless, large gaps persist in our knowledge of the infectionparticularly in methods for its control. In the 1950's, principal control measures consisted of prophylactic or therapeutic feeding of sulfonamides, which were later supplanted by the antibiotic erythromycin. Chemotherapy has effected some reduction of mortality, but benefits are typically transient and mortality usually resumes after the drug is withdrawn. Some studies have indicated that diet composition affects the prevalence and severity of the disease. Although tests of chemotherapeutants and diet modification have continued, research emphasis has shifted partly toward prevention of the disease by breaking the infection cycle. It is now generally accepted that R. salrnoninarum can be transmitted both vertically and horizontally. Experimental ev~dence indicates that immersion of newly fertilized eggs in iodophor or erythromycin does not prevent vertical transmission. However, the injection of female salmon with erythromycin before they spawn shows promise as a practical means of interrupting vertical transmission. The results of attempts to prevent infection of juvenile salmonids by vaccination against bacterial kidney disease have been disappointing, thus underscoring a basic need for a better understanding of protective mechanisms in salmonids. The recent development of more sensitive and quantitative detection methods should aid in evaluating the efficacy of current and future control strategies.

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Exercise induced rhabdomyolysis is a complication of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) and mitochondrial trifunctional protein (TFP) deficiency that frequently leads to exercise avoidance. Dietary therapy for most subjects includes medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplementation but analysis of diet records indicates that the majority of patients consume oral MCT only with breakfast and at bedtime. We hypothesized that MCT immediately prior to exercise would provide an alternative fuel source during that bout of exercise and improve exercise tolerance in children with LCHAD deficiency. Nine subjects completed two 45 min moderate intensity (60-70% predicted maximum heart rate (HR)) treadmill exercise tests. Subjects were given 4 oz of orange juice alone or orange juice and 0.5 g MCT per kg lean body mass, 20 min prior to exercise in a randomized cross-over design. ECG and respiratory gas exchange including respiratory quotient (RQ) were monitored. Blood levels of acylcarnitines, creatine kinase, lactate, and β-hydroxybutyrate were measured prior to and immediately after exercise, and again following 20min rest. Creatine kinase and lactate levels did not change with exercise. There was no significant difference in RQ between the two exercise tests but there was a decrease in steady-state HR following MCT supplementation. Cumulative long-chain 3-hydroxyacylcarnitines were 30% lower and β-hydroxybutyrate was three-fold higher after the MCT-pretreated exercise test compared to the test with orange juice alone. Coordinating MCT supplementation with periods of increased activity may improve the metabolic control of children with LCHAD and TFP deficiency following exercise.

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Abstract. Renibacterium salmoninarum is an important salmonid pathogen that is difficult to culture. We developed and assessed a real-time, quantitative, polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for the detection and enumeration of R. salmoninarum. The qPCR is based on TaqMan technology and amplifies a 69-base pair (bp) region of the gene encoding the major soluble antigen (MSA) of R. salmoninarum. The qPCR assay consistently detected as few as 5 R. salmoninarum cells per reaction in kidney tissue. The specificity of the qPCR was confirmed by testing the DNA extracts from a panel of microorganisms that were either common fish pathogens or reported to cause false-positive reactions in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Kidney samples from 38 juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in a naturally infected population were examined by real-time qPCR, a nested PCR, and ELISA, and prevalences of R. salmoninarum detected were 71, 66, and 71%, respectively. The qPCR should be a valuable tool for evaluating the R. salmoninarum infection status of salmonids.

We developed a rapid method for detecting and quantifying the pathogen Renibacterium salmoninarum in coelomic fluid of spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) by concentrating the bacteria on 0.2-μm polycarbonate filters and staining them with specific fluorescein-labeled antibody. Centrifugation of samples and resuspension of the sedimented material in phosphate-buffered saline containing Triton X-100 increased the ease of filtration. Background fluorescence was reduced by counterstaining filters with Eriochrome black T. Postfiltration staining, rinsing, and counterstaining were done in the syringe-mounted filter holders, reducing handling of the filters and possible loss of bacteria. The number of bacteria detected by the filtration – fluorescent antibody technique in a broth culture of R. salmoninarum ranged from 6.7 × 107to7.6 × 107/mL and was slightly higher than that determined by plate count (9.6 × 106/mL). Increasing the sample dilution or decreasing the number of microscope fields examined generally increased the variability of filter counts of R. salmoninarum. Using the filtration – fluorescent antibody technique, we detected the bacterium in the coelomic fluid of 85% of spawning female spring chinook salmon sampled from a hatchery population.