Loaches are widely distributed throughout the natural environment and are consumed for medicinal purposes in East Asia. Usually, loaches are cultured in ponds where the water conditions can easily cause bacterial infections. Infections due to bacterial pathogens such as Aeromonas have been well described in cultured loaches; however, there is no report regarding Chryseobacterium infection. This study focused on the elucidation of the pathogenic and antibiotic resistance characteristics of C. cucumeris, SKNUCL01, isolated from diseased loaches (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus). SKNUCL01 forms a biofilm, which is associated with its virulence. Koch’s postulates were satisfied with a lethal dose 50 (LD50) of 8.52 × 107 colony-forming units (CFU)/ml. Abrasion facilitates the mortality of the fish, which makes it a possible infection route for C. cucumeris. The strain showed resistance to nearly all tested antibiotics, such as trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin, formerly considered effective treatments. Phenotypic analyses for antibiotic resistance—the combined disk test, double-disk synergy test, modified Hodge test, and efflux pump inhibition test—revealed that the resistance of SKNUCL01 originated from metallo-beta lactamases (MBLs) and efflux pumps. Our findings provide evidence that could result in a breakthrough against multidrug-resistant Chryseobacterium infection in the aquaculture industry; the antibiotic resistance-related genes can be elucidated through future study.

Aeromonas hydrophila, a Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in aquatic environments, is pathogenic to amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. In human medicine, the clinical symptoms of aeromonad infection include not only gastroenteritis but also extraintestinal infections, such as wounds, cellulitis, and septicemia, in immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. In this study, ten red-eyed crocodile skinks (Tribolonotus gracilis) that shared the same space were found dead 7 days after being shipped from Indonesia. The necropsy revealed A. hydrophila to be the causative agent, and the isolates were susceptible to most antibiotics, based on an antimicrobial susceptibility test. Seven virulence factors (act, ast, alt, aerA, fla, gcaT, and ahyB) considered to be associated with virulence were detected by PCR. Microscopic examination revealed several necrotic lesions and melano-macrophage centers in the tissue slides. Reptiles caught in the wild for trade experience captivity stress. Furthermore, in the winter, reptiles are easily exposed to the cold atmosphere. These stresses can negatively impact the immunity of these ectotherms, making them vulnerable to A. hydrophila infections. Therefore, to avoid such opportunistic infections and mortality following exposure to severe stress, medical care is recommended. The studies of alternatives, such as bacteriophage and bacteriocin, are needed for a preventive application.

In the present study, Aeromonas (A.) hydrophila was isolated from a captive-bred adult freshwater stingray (Potamotrygon motoro) reared at a commercial aquarium in Korea. The stingray had bites on its fins, hemorrhages on the ventral part, and congested internal organs. A bacterium was isolated from kidney and subsequently identified as A. hydrophila. Based on phylogenetic analysis results, the isolate in the present study (SNUAh-LA1) was most closely related to A. hydrophila AH10 (China) and A. hydrophila AKR1 (Korea). It is most likely that the pathogen infection resulted from Potamotrygon motoro cohabiting with ricefish (Oryzias latipes).