Epizootics of <i>Streptococcus agalactiae</i> infection in captive rays from Queensland, Australia

Bowater, Rachel O; Dennis, Michelle M.; Blyde, David; Stone, BM; Barnes, Andrew C.; Delamare-Deboutteville, J.; Horton, M A; White, Melissa G.; Condon, Kelly; Jones, Robert H.

doi:10.1111/jfd.12701

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The first outbreak of streptococcosis in fish was recorded in 1958 and infected rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, cultured in Japan [3]. It was later reported in different saltwater species, both in Osteichtyes (bony) and Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous) fish [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatal Infection in a Wild Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), Caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, Type Ia-ST7

Morick

Davidovich

Bigal

et al. 2020

Animals

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Streptococcus agalactiae is one of the most important fish pathogenic bacteria as it is responsible for epizootic mortalities in both wild and farmed species. S. agalactiae is also known as a zoonotic agent. In July 2018, a stranded wild sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), one of the most common shark species in the Mediterranean Sea, was found moribund on the seashore next to Netanya, Israel, and died a few hours later. A post-mortem examination, histopathology, classical bacteriology and advanced molecular techniques revealed a bacterial infection caused by S. agalactiae, type Ia-ST7. Available sequences publicly accessible databases and phylogenetic analysis suggest that the S. agalactiae isolated in this case is closely related to fish and human isolates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of a fatal streptococcosis in sandbar sharks.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatal Infection in a Wild Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), Caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, Type Ia-ST7

Morick

Davidovich

Bigal

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…The current isolates represent the first aquatic isolates sequenced from marine fish and stingrays indicating a wider host range (rays and marine finfish), environmental (freshwater to marine) and geographic distribution of ST-261 than previously observed (5, 6, 61). GBS strains isolated from humans and terrestrial animals in Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia were also sequenced and have larger genomes of 2,072,596 bp comprising 2,067 genes on average, suggesting that recent possible local transfer from terrestrial origin to Australian fish is highly unlikely, although probable transfer between humans and fish has been reported for ST-7 GBS elsewhere (8, 39, 62).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…Stingrays are occasional prey for adult giant Queensland grouper and stingray barbs have been found in the gut of grouper post-mortem (Bowater, unpublished observation). ST-261 GBS has also caused mortality in captive stingrays in South East Queensland, translocated from Cairns in North Queensland (61)…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microevolution of aquaticStreptococcus agalactiaeST-261 from Australia indicates dissemination via imported tilapia and ongoing adaptation to marine hosts or environment

Kawasaki

Delamare-Deboutteville

Bowater³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) causes disease in a wide range of animals. The serotype 1b lineage is highly adapted to aquatic hosts, exhibiting substantial genome reduction compared with terrestrial con-specifics. Here we sequence genomes from 40 GBS isolates including 25 from wild fish and captive stingrays in Australia, six local veterinary or human clinical isolates, and nine isolates from farmed tilapia in Honduras and compare with 42 genomes from public databases. Phylogenetic analysis based on non-recombinant core genome SNPs indicated that aquatic serotype Ib isolates from Queensland were distantly related to local veterinary and human clinical isolates. In contrast, Australian aquatic isolates are most closely related to a tilapia isolate from Israel, differing by only 63 core-genome SNPs. A consensus minimum spanning tree based on core genome SNPs indicates dissemination of ST-261 from an ancestral tilapia strain, which is congruent with several introductions of tilapia into Australia from Israel during the 1970s and 1980s. Pan-genome analysis identified 1,440 genes as core with the majority being dispensable or strain-specific with non-protein-coding intergenic regions (IGRs) divided amongst core and strain-specific genes. Aquatic serotype Ib strains have lost many virulence factors during adaptation, but six adhesins were well conserved across the aquatic isolates and might be critical for virulence in fish and targets for vaccine development. The close relationship amongst recent ST-261 isolates from Ghana, USA and China with the Israeli tilapia isolate from 1988 implicates the global trade in tilapia seed for aquaculture in the widespread dissemination of serotype Ib fish-adapted GBS.ImportanceStreptococcus agalactiae (GBS) is a significant pathogen of humans and animals. Some lineages have become adapted to particular hosts and serotype Ib is highly specialized to fish. Here we show that this lineage is likely to have been distributed widely by the global trade in tilapia for aquaculture, with probable introduction into Australia in the 1970s and subsequent dissemination in wild fish populations. We report variability in the polysaccharide capsule amongst this lineage, but identify a cohort common surface proteins that may be a focus of future vaccine development to reduce the biosecurity risk in international fish trade.

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“…in Australian waters should be critically reviewed. There are limited reports on infectious agents affecting these elasmobranchs (Bowater et al, ; Cutmore, Cribb, & Yong, ; Haseli, Malek, & Palm, ; Schaeffner & Beveridge, , ). Publications that discuss species of endoparasites infecting Pastinachus ater in Australian waters have mainly focused on parasitic cestodes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic and morphological characterization of Mawsonascaris vulvolacinata n. sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) and associated histopathology in a wild caught cowtail stingray, Pastinachus ater

Shamsi

Dang

Zhu

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Diseases

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There are limited reports of infectious agents affecting Australian cowtail stingrays. In the present study, a new species of ascaridoid nematode belonging to the genus Mawsonascaris is described. The most distinct characteristic features were observed in females (the presence of a polar spine in the eggs and a flap‐like projection in the vulval area). An identification key for Mawsonascaris spp. is provided. Additionally, internal transcribed spacers (ITS) sequences were obtained for the new species. Alignment of the ITS sequence of the specimens in the present study with those deposited in GenBank showed that there exists no other highly similar sequence. Phylogenetic analyses resulted in a distinct grouping of our specimens supporting morphological distinction from previously described Mawsonascaris spp. Histology was used to investigate the pathology caused by the infection. Necrosis, inflammation and fibrosis were evident at the border of the nodules formed by parasite. A large number of parasites were present in muscularis mucosae and submucosa but not in the muscularis of the stomach. The parasites were associated with an increased inflammatory response, which was also found in the muscularis mucosae and submucosa. Similar pathology has been described in elasmobranchs infected by cestodes, although with more severe lesions.

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Epizootics of Streptococcus agalactiae infection in captive rays from Queensland, Australia

Cited by 13 publications

References 44 publications

Fatal Infection in a Wild Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), Caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, Type Ia-ST7

Fatal Infection in a Wild Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), Caused by Streptococcus agalactiae, Type Ia-ST7

Microevolution of aquaticStreptococcus agalactiaeST-261 from Australia indicates dissemination via imported tilapia and ongoing adaptation to marine hosts or environment

Genetic and morphological characterization of Mawsonascaris vulvolacinata n. sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) and associated histopathology in a wild caught cowtail stingray, Pastinachus ater

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