Morphology, Physiology, and Serology of a Pasteurella Species Pathogenic for White Perch ( Roccus americanus )

Abstract

The Pasteurella species implicated as the etiologic agent of a massive white perch mortality in the Chesapeake Bay and first described by S. F. Snieszko et al. has been characterized further in our laboratory. The general morphology and physiology of this organism is similar to that of the pasteurellae and several known fish pathogens. There are enough dissimilarities, however, to rule out its identification with any established species. The organism is obligately halophilic and grows in a temperature range between 17 and 31 C on ordinary media containing 1% NaCl. It has a relatively narrow range of pH, temperature, and salinity tolerance, and a very short survival time in spent media or brackish water, in contrast to Pasteurella pestis and P. pseudotuberculosis. Serological tests also indicate that this organism is distinct from other species which it resembles. On the basis of classic morphological and physiological criteria, this organism fits best in the genus Pasteurella; the species name piscicida (L. noun piscis, a fish; L.v.L.adj. suffix-cidus, to kill; M.L. noun piscicida, fish killer) is proposed.

AIP56, a novel plasmid‐encoded virulence factor of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida with apoptogenic activity against sea bass macrophages and neutrophils

“…piscicida ( Phdp ), is a Gram-negative, extracellular pathogen isolated for the first time from a massive fish kill in Chesapeake Bay (Snieszko et al ., 1964). The disease was named pasteurellosis after the initial classification of this agent as Pasteurella piscicida (Janssen and Surgalla, 1968). The pathogen was later reassigned to the genus Photobacterium as Photobacterium damsela subsp.…”

Some biochemical properties and antibiotic sensitivities of Pasteurella piscidda isolated in Greece and comparison with strains from Japan, France and Italy

“…The pathogen was first isolated from natural populations of white perch, Morone americana (Gmelin), and striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), during an epizootic in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA (Snieszko, Bullock, Hollis & Boone 1964). Later, Janssen & Surgalla (1968) showed physiological and serological differences between this bacteriutn and other Pasteurella species, and proposed the name Pasteurella piscicida.…”

Virulence of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida in cultured cobia Rachycentron canadum

“…SNIEZSKO and colleagues (1964) first described the disease in wild populations of white perch (Morone americanus) and striped bass (M. saxatilis) in Chesapeake Bay, USA. JANSSEN and SURGALLA (1968) suggested the name Pasteurella piscicida for the causative agent of this disease. Since then, a variety of marine fish have been reported as natural hosts for the bacterium including yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata) (KIMURA and KITAO 1971), black seabream (Mylio macrocephalus) (MUROGA et al 1977, OHNISHI et al 1982, red spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) (UEKI et al 1990, KUSUDA andNISHIMURA 1991), striped jack (NAKAI et al 1992), Japanese flounder (FU- KUDA et al 1996) and wild largescale blackfish (KAWAKAMI et al 1999) in Japan, and mainly gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) (TORANZO et al 1991) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) (BALEBONA et al 1992) in Europe since 1990.…”