DOCSLIB.ORG

NASCO Scientific Working Group

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
NASCO Scientific Working Group N A S C O NORTH AMERICAN COMMISSION PROTOCOLS FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND TRANSFER OF SALMONIDS by NAC/NASCO Scientific Working Group on Salmonid Introductions and Transfers Edited by T. Rex Porter Canadian Co-chairman Department of Fisheries and Oceans P O Box 5667 St John's, NF A1C 5X1 NAC(92)24 i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 PART I SUMMARY OF PROTOCOLS BY ZONE .............................................. 3 1 ZONING OF RIVER SYSTEMS ......................................................................... 5 2 DESCRIPTION OF ZONES ................................................................................. 5 3 PROTOCOLS ......................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Protocols applicable to all three Zones ..................................................... 6 3.2 Protocols applicable to Zone I ................................................................... 7 3.2.1 General within Zone I ................................................................................... 7 3.2.2 Rehabilitation ................................................................................................ 7 3.2.3 Establishment or re-establishment of Atlantic salmon in a river or part of a watershed where there are no salmon ........................................ 7 3.2.4 Aquaculture ................................................................................................... 8 3.3 Protocols applicable to Zone II .................................................................. 8 3.3.1 General within Zone II .................................................................................. 8 3.3.2 Rehabilitation ................................................................................................ 8 3.3.3 Establishment or re-establishment of Atlantic salmon in a river or part of a watershed where there are no salmon ........................................ 9 3.3.4 Aquaculture ................................................................................................... 9 3.4 Protocols applicable to Zone III ................................................................ 10 3.4.1 General within Zone III ................................................................................ 10 3.4.2 Rehabilitation ................................................................................................ 10 3.4.3 Establishment or re-establishment of Atlantic salmon in a river or part of a watershed where there are no salmon ........................................ 10 3.4.4 Aquaculture ................................................................................................... 10 4 GUIDELINES FOR APPROVAL OF INTRODUCTIONS AND TRANSFERS ........................................................................................................... 11 4.1 Responsibility of proponent ....................................................................... 11 4.2 Responsibility of government agencies having the authority to issue permits ................................................................................................ 11 4.3 Responsibilities of the NAC Scientific Working Group on Salmonid Introductions and Transfers ..................................................... 12 4.4 Preparation of proposals ............................................................................ 12 4.5 Evaluation of proposals .............................................................................. 13 5 GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................. 14 ii PART II PROTOCOLS ON SALMONID FISH HEALTH ................................... 19 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 21 2 DEFINITIONS ........................................................................................................ 21 3 BASIC OBLIGATIONS ......................................................................................... 22 4 APPLICATION ....................................................................................................... 22 5 TRAFFIC IN FISH ................................................................................................. 22 5.1 Fish transfer in areas not enzootic for infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) ............................................................................................. 23 5.1.1 Fish culture facilities including movements to cage culture facilities ......................................................................................................... 23 5.1.2 Movements from cage culture facilities ........................................................ 23 5.1.3 Free-ranging fish .......................................................................................... 24 5.2 Transfer of fish from areas enzootic for infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) is prohibited ....................................................................... 25 5.3 Direct transfer of eyed eggs from areas outside North America and not enzootic for infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHN) ...... 26 6 FISH HEALTH INSPECTION REPORTS ......................................................... 26 7 FISH HEALTH INSPECTORS ............................................................................. 27 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................................................................... 27 ANNEX I Fish health inspection report ......................................................................... 29 ANNEX II Exporter's declaration ................................................................................... 31 ANNEX III List of disease agents covered by protocols .................................................. 33 ANNEX IV Methods of diagnosis .................................................................................... 35 ANNEX V Guidelines for the control and management of disease agents ..................... 37 ANNEX VI Fish cultural facility disease status ............................................................... 39 ANNEX VII Egg disinfection ............................................................................................ 41 ANNEX VIII Emergency eradication plan .......................................................................... 43 ANNEX IX Quarantine facilities ...................................................................................... 49 PART III PROTOCOLS FOR MAINTENANCE OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN ATLANTIC SALMON ......................................................................... 51 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 53 2 PROTOCOLS ......................................................................................................... 53 2.1 Inter-continental transfers ......................................................................... 53 2.2 Intra-continental transfers ......................................................................... 54 2.2.1 Introduction and re-establishment ................................................................ 54 iii 2.2.2 Rehabilitation and enhancement ................................................................... 54 2.2.3 Cage culture - marine enclosure ................................................................... 55 2.2.4 Hatchery management .................................................................................. 56 2.3 Fishery harvest ............................................................................................ 57 3 RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................... 57 3.1 Stock identification and inventory ............................................................ 57 3.2 Assessment of enhancement and rehabilitation practices ....................... 57 3.3 Aquaculture practices and effects ............................................................. 58 3.4 Fishery harvest effects ................................................................................ 59 4 CONCLUDING REMARKS ................................................................................. 59 PART IV PROTOCOLS TO REDUCE RISK OF ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS .... 61 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 63 2 IMPACTS OF INTRODUCTIONS AND TRANSFERS .................................... 63 2.1 Intra-specific effects .................................................................................... 63 2.1.1 Predation ....................................................................................................... 63 2.1.2 Competition................................................................................................... 63 2.2 Inter-specific effects .................................................................................... 64 2.2.1 Predation ....................................................................................................... 64 2.2.2 Competition................................................................................................... 65 2.2.3 Other effects .................................................................................................. 66 3 SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance Fourth Edition – APRIL 2011
    SGR 129 Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance Fourth Edition – APRIL 2011 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY AND APPLIED NUTRITION OFFICE OF FOOD SAFETY Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance Fourth Edition – April 2011 Additional copies may be purchased from: Florida Sea Grant IFAS - Extension Bookstore University of Florida P.O. Box 110011 Gainesville, FL 32611-0011 (800) 226-1764 Or www.ifasbooks.com Or you may download a copy from: http://www.fda.gov/FoodGuidances You may submit electronic or written comments regarding this guidance at any time. Submit electronic comments to http://www.regulations. gov. Submit written comments to the Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All comments should be identified with the docket number listed in the notice of availability that publishes in the Federal Register. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (240) 402-2300 April 2011 Table of Contents: Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance • Guidance for the Industry: Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance ................................ 1 • CHAPTER 1: General Information .......................................................................................................19 • CHAPTER 2: Conducting a Hazard Analysis and Developing a HACCP Plan
    [Show full text]
  • Baseline Assessment of the Lake Ohrid Region - Albania
    TOWARDS STRENGTHENED GOVERNANCE OF THE SHARED TRANSBOUNDARY NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE LAKE OHRID REGION Baseline Assessment of the Lake Ohrid region - Albania IUCN – ICOMOS joint draft report January 2016 Contents ........................................................................................................................................................................... i A. Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 1 B. The study area ........................................................................................................................................... 5 B.1 The physical environment ............................................................................................................. 5 B.2 The biotic environment ................................................................................................................. 7 B.3 Cultural Settings ............................................................................................................................ 0 C. Heritage values and resources/ attributes ................................................................................................ 6 C.1 Natural heritage values and resources ......................................................................................... 6 C.2 Cultural heritage values and resources....................................................................................... 12 D.
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Interaction Between Fish Pathogens and Host Aquatic Animals
    K. Tsukamoto, T. Kawamura, T. Takeuchi, T. D. Beard, Jr. and M. J. Kaiser, eds. Fisheries for Global Welfare and Environment, 5th World Fisheries Congress 2008, pp. 277–288. © by TERRAPUB 2008. Molecular Interaction between Fish Pathogens and Host Aquatic Animals Laura L. Brown* and Stewart C. Johnson National Research Council of Canada Institute for Marine Biosciences 1411 Oxford Street Halifax, NS, B3H 3Z1, Canada Present address: Fisheries and Oceans Canada Pacific Biological Station 3190 Hammond Bay Road Nanaimo, NS, V9T 6N7, Canada *E-mail: [email protected] We have studied the host-pathogen interactions between Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and Aeromonas salmonicida. Sequencing the genome of the bacterium allowed us to investigate virulence factors and other gene products with potential as vaccines. Using knock-out mutants of A. salmonicida, we identified key virulence factors. Proteomics studies of bacterial cells grown in a variety of media as well as in an in vivo implant system revealed differential protein production and have shed new light on bacterial proteins such as superoxide dismutase, pili and flagellar proteins, type three secretion systems, and their roles in A. salmonicida pathogenicity. We constructed a whole ge- nome DNA microarray to use in comparative genomic hybridizations (M-CGH) and bacterial gene expression studies. Carbohydrate analysis has shown the variation in LPS between strains and reveals the importance of LPS in viru- lence. Salmon were challenged with A. salmonicida and tissues were taken to construct suppressive subtractive hybridization libraries to investigate differ- ential host gene expression. We constructed an Atlantic salmon cDNA microarray to investigate the host response to A.
    [Show full text]
  • Chemical Pollution of the Oceans Toxic Chemical Pollutants in the Oceans Have Been Shown Capable of Causing a Wide Range of Human Diseases
    Supplementary Appendix to “Human Health and Ocean Pollution”, Annals of Global Health, 2020 This Supplementary Appendix contains additional references and documentation supporting the information presented in the report, Human Health and Ocean Pollution. Chemical Pollution of the Oceans Toxic chemical pollutants in the oceans have been shown capable of causing a wide range of human diseases. Toxicological and epidemiological studies document that pollutants such as toxic metals, POPs, dioxins, plastics chemicals, and pesticides can cause cardiovascular effects, developmental and neurobehavioral disorders, metabolic disease, endocrine disruption and cancer. Table 1 in this Supplementary Appendix summarizes the known links between chemical pollutants in the oceans and a range of human health outcomes. The strengths of the associations listed in Table 1 vary depending on the nature of the studies establishing these associations. Some associations have been assessed in systematic reviews and meta-analyses of animal and human data.1 2 Some are single cross-sectional or case-control studies. There are now a growing number of relevant epidemiological studies, including powerful prospective cohort studies, such as the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS)3 Findings from these investigations are strengthening the evidence base for associations between exposures to organic chemical pollutants and adverse health outcomes. Supplementary Appendix Table 1. Adverse Human Health Outcomes
    [Show full text]
  • Common Diseases of Wild and Cultured Fishes in Alaska
    COMMON DISEASES OF WILD AND CULTURED FISHES IN ALASKA Theodore Meyers, Tamara Burton, Collette Bentz and Norman Starkey July 2008 Alaska Department of Fish and Game Fish Pathology Laboratories The Alaska Department of Fish and Game printed this publication at a cost of $12.03 in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. 3 About This Booklet This booklet is a product of the Ichthyophonus Diagnostics, Educational and Outreach Program which was initiated and funded by the Yukon River Panel’s Restoration and Enhancement fund and facilitated by the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association in conjunction with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The original impetus driving the production of this booklet was from a concern that Yukon River fishers were discarding Canadian-origin Chinook salmon believed to be infected by Ichthyophonus. It was decided to develop an educational program that included the creation of a booklet containing photographs and descriptions of frequently encountered parasites within Yukon River fish. This booklet is to serve as a brief illustrated guide that lists many of the common parasitic, infectious, and noninfectious diseases of wild and cultured fish encountered in Alaska. The content is directed towards lay users, as well as fish culturists at aquaculture facilities and field biologists and is not a comprehensive treatise nor should it be considered a scientific document. Interested users of this guide are directed to the listed fish disease references for additional information. Information contained within this booklet is published from the laboratory records of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fish Pathology Section that has regulatory oversight of finfish health in the State of Alaska.
    [Show full text]
  • Table S5. the Information of the Bacteria Annotated in the Soil Community at Species Level
    Table S5. The information of the bacteria annotated in the soil community at species level No. Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species The number of contigs Abundance(%) 1 Firmicutes Bacilli Bacillales Bacillaceae Bacillus Bacillus cereus 1749 5.145782459 2 Bacteroidetes Cytophagia Cytophagales Hymenobacteraceae Hymenobacter Hymenobacter sedentarius 1538 4.52499338 3 Gemmatimonadetes Gemmatimonadetes Gemmatimonadales Gemmatimonadaceae Gemmatirosa Gemmatirosa kalamazoonesis 1020 3.000970902 4 Proteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria Sphingomonadales Sphingomonadaceae Sphingomonas Sphingomonas indica 797 2.344876284 5 Firmicutes Bacilli Lactobacillales Streptococcaceae Lactococcus Lactococcus piscium 542 1.594633558 6 Actinobacteria Thermoleophilia Solirubrobacterales Conexibacteraceae Conexibacter Conexibacter woesei 471 1.385742446 7 Proteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria Sphingomonadales Sphingomonadaceae Sphingomonas Sphingomonas taxi 430 1.265115184 8 Proteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria Sphingomonadales Sphingomonadaceae Sphingomonas Sphingomonas wittichii 388 1.141545794 9 Proteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria Sphingomonadales Sphingomonadaceae Sphingomonas Sphingomonas sp. FARSPH 298 0.876754244 10 Proteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria Sphingomonadales Sphingomonadaceae Sphingomonas Sorangium cellulosum 260 0.764953367 11 Proteobacteria Deltaproteobacteria Myxococcales Polyangiaceae Sorangium Sphingomonas sp. Cra20 260 0.764953367 12 Proteobacteria Alphaproteobacteria Sphingomonadales Sphingomonadaceae Sphingomonas Sphingomonas panacis 252 0.741416341
    [Show full text]
  • Scholars Academic Journal of Biosciences
    Scholars Academic Journal of Biosciences Abbreviated Key Title: Sch Acad J Biosci ISSN 2347-9515 (Print) | ISSN 2321-6883 (Online) Zoology Journal homepage: https://saspublishers.com A Comprehensive Review on the Prevalence and Dissemination of Some Bacterial Diseases in Ornamental Fishes and Their Preventive Measures Arnab Chatterjee1#, Sucharita Ghosh2#, Ritwick Bhattacharya1#, Soumendranath Chatterjee2, Nimai Chandra Saha1* 1Fishery and Ecotoxicology Research Laboratory (Vice-Chancellor’s Research Group), Department of Zoology, the University of Burdwan, Burdwan 713104, West Bengal, India 2Parasitology & Microbiology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, the University of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal, India #Authors contributed equally DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2020.v08i11.005 | Received: 06.11.2020 | Accepted: 17.11.2020 | Published: 20.11.2020 *Corresponding author: Nimai Chandra Saha Abstract Review Article As a consequential sector within the fisheries segment, ornamental fisheries have become a billion-dollar industry. At current, it is estimated that the aquarium industry is worth about 15 billion dollars. In ornamental aquaculture and aquarium keeping, the incidence of diseases is the main quandary that emerges during culture and deplorably affects the profitability of the ventures. Diseases are caused by viruses, protozoa, bacteria, fungi, and parasites under profound culture conditions, and the likelihood of stress elevates in an immensely colossal portion of the stock. Of these, the most paramount causes of sudden fish death are infectious and bacterial diseases. Nowadays, veterinary antibiotic treatment of contaminated fish is being applied in most of the States of India. Disease obviation is often less costly than treating disease outbreaks when it is subsisting. Adopting and implementing a health management strategy would not assure a disease-free facility that ultimately leads to considerably decremented chances of dissemination of diseases.
    [Show full text]
  • The Salmon Louse Lepeophtheirus Salmonis (Caligidae) As a Vector of Aeromonas Salmonicida
    THE SALMON LOUSE LEPEOPHTHEIRUS SALMONIS (CALIGIDAE) AS A VECTOR OF AEROMONAS SALMONICIDA by Colin William Novak B.Sc., Vancouver Island University, 2009 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Animal Science) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) July 2013 © Colin William Novak, 2013 Abstract The sea louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, has been hypothesized to be a vector of fish pathogens and previous studies have isolated viral and bacterial pathogens from L. salmonis parasitizing farmed salmon. To examine the potential transmission of A. salmonicida by preadult and adult L. salmonis via parasitism of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), an in vivo bacteria-parasite challenge model was tested. Two pathogen challenge trials were performed, in which sea lice from donor (Aeromonas salmonicida-injected) fish were allocated among recipient fish for 14 days. Three hypotheses were examined: (i.) L. salmonis can acquire A. salmonicida from donor fish via parasitism; (ii.) A. salmonicida-exposed sea lice can transmit the pathogen to recipient Atlantic salmon via parasitism and (iii.) L. salmonis and A. salmonicida infections can cause synergistic effects on host fish. Sea lice acquired A. salmonicida externally (Trial 1 and 2, 100%) and internally (Trial 1, 100%) from parasitizing donor fish. Trial 1 (~44g fish) demonstrated a successful transfer of bacteria from lice to salmon (mucus, 100%; kidney, 77.3%), with a decrease (t = 5.29, df = 6, p = 0.00186) in mean fish condition factor and 59.1% cumulative fish mortality. Conversely, there was no evidence of bacteria transfer, no fish mortality and no decrease in mean fish condition factor in Trial 2 (~155g fish).
    [Show full text]
  • Shellfish Diseases and Their Management in Commercial Recirculating Systems
    Shellfish Diseases and Their Management in Commercial Recirculating Systems Ralph Elston AquaTechnics & Pacific Shellfish Institute PO Box 687 Carlsborg, WA 98324 Introduction Intensive culture of early life stages of bivalve shellfish culture has been practiced since at least the late 1950’s on an experimental basis. Production scale culture emerged in the 1970’s and today, hathcheries and nurseries produce large numbers of a variety of species of oysters, clams and scallops. The early life stage systems may be entirely or partially recirculating or static. Management of infectious diseases in these systems has been a challenge since their inception and effective health management is a requisite to successful culture. The diseases which affect early life stage shellfish in intensive production systems and the principles and practice of health management are the subject of this presentation. Shellfish Diseases and Management Diseases of bivalve shellfish affecting those reared or harvested from extensive culture primarily consist of parasitic infections and generally comprise the reportable or certifiable diseases. Due to the extensive nature of such culture, intervention options or disease control are limited. In contrast, infectious diseases known from early life stages in intensive culture systems tend to be opportunistic in nature and offer substantial opportunity for management due to the control that can be exerted at key points in the systems. In marine shellfish hatcheries, infectious organisms can enter the system from three sources: brood stock, seawater source and algal food source. Once an organism is established in the system, it may persist without further introduction. Bacterial infections are the most common opportunistic infection in shellfish hatcheries.
    [Show full text]
  • Length-Weight Relationship of Ohrid Trout, Salmo Letnica (Karaman, 1924), Inhabiting Transboundary Ohrid Lake (Albania-Macedonia)
    ISSN(Online): 2319-8753 ISSN (Print): 2347-6710 International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology (An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization) Vol. 4, Issue 6, June 2015 Length-Weight Relationship of Ohrid Trout, Salmo letnica (Karaman, 1924), Inhabiting Transboundary Ohrid Lake (Albania-Macedonia) Viola Prifti1 PhD Student, Department of Biochemistry – Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, University “F. Noli”, Korҫa, Albania1 ABSTRACT: Length-weight and total length- standard length, relationships were derived for Ohrid trout, Salmo letnica (Karaman), inhabiting the ancient Ohrid Lake, at the transboundary area shared between Albania and Macedonia. Sampling was done between January–December of 2014 using different approaches including fishing gears and direct sampling at the hatcheries in two localities, Lin and Zagorҫan. The relationships between lengths were all significantly linear (r2 from 0.975 to 0.855) and there are significant differences of r2 at the localities Zagorҫan to Hudënisht. The Ohrid trout through different authors has been considered like polymorph species regarding the taxonomical and ecological features: Salmo letnica typicus, Salmo letnica balcanicus, Salmo letnica lumi and Salmo letnica aestivalis. According many authors four forms of Ohrid trout can be distinguished with different place, time and substrate for spawning. This species, in the conditions that are present in the lake, reaches weight of 1 kg in the seventh year of its life with an average total body length of 420-460 mm, while the maturity among males occurs in the 4th year and 5th for the females. Further to that the length-weight approach was developed to see different patterns in different supposed localities.
    [Show full text]
  • Sea Urchin Disease: Case Study on Venezuelan Shores Sylvia Grune Loffler
    EDITORIAL Sea urchin disease: Case study on Venezuelan shores Sylvia Grune Loffler Loffler SG. Sea urchin disease: case study on Venezuelan shores. J Mar Microbiol. 2018;2(1): 1-2. he prevalence of clinical signs in echinoids and other marine invertebrates populations affecting 98% from Panama to the Bermudas. Lessios (2) studied Thas been reported since the 70`s in the Caribbean sea. However, the the recovery rate of the populations of D. antillarum and found only a slight presence of clinical signs in echinoids has not been reported in Venezuela recovery after the mass mortality event. Sand dollars (M. quinquiesperforata) until now. We carried out a visual census of the sand dollar population express signs of stress caused by environmental changes releasing coelomic (Mellita quinquiesperforata) on Margarita Island and described several clinical cells with violet coloration Figures 1 and 2. These cells have substances with signs observed. The clinical signs observed with higher prevalence are listed antibiotic and antimycotic properties and are released by stress-induced in decreasing order: Black Dots (BD), Violet Ulceration (VU), Brown Patches effects (14,15). Further studies of the observed clinical signs of sand dollar (BP), Green Erosion (GE), Red Dots (RD), Decolored Patches (DP), Pink populations have a great scientific interest since these animals are indicators Band (PB) and Black Ulceration (BU). The clinical signs with higher grade of environmental changes of biotic and abiotic factors of the coast, caused by affecting the aboral surface found were VU and BU. Gram coloration of the contamination and global warming with seem to promote development of affected test surface revealed elevated presence Gram+ cocci and bacilli.
    [Show full text]
  • An Update on the Genus Aeromonas: Taxonomy, Epidemiology, and Pathogenicity
    microorganisms Review An Update on the Genus Aeromonas: Taxonomy, Epidemiology, and Pathogenicity Ana Fernández-Bravo and Maria José Figueras * Unit of Microbiology, Department of Basic Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, IISPV, University Rovira i Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain; [email protected] * Correspondence: mariajose.fi[email protected]; Tel.: +34-97-775-9321; Fax: +34-97-775-9322 Received: 31 October 2019; Accepted: 14 January 2020; Published: 17 January 2020 Abstract: The genus Aeromonas belongs to the Aeromonadaceae family and comprises a group of Gram-negative bacteria widely distributed in aquatic environments, with some species able to cause disease in humans, fish, and other aquatic animals. However, bacteria of this genus are isolated from many other habitats, environments, and food products. The taxonomy of this genus is complex when phenotypic identification methods are used because such methods might not correctly identify all the species. On the other hand, molecular methods have proven very reliable, such as using the sequences of concatenated housekeeping genes like gyrB and rpoD or comparing the genomes with the type strains using a genomic index, such as the average nucleotide identity (ANI) or in silico DNA–DNA hybridization (isDDH). So far, 36 species have been described in the genus Aeromonas of which at least 19 are considered emerging pathogens to humans, causing a broad spectrum of infections. Having said that, when classifying 1852 strains that have been reported in various recent clinical cases, 95.4% were identified as only four species: Aeromonas caviae (37.26%), Aeromonas dhakensis (23.49%), Aeromonas veronii (21.54%), and Aeromonas hydrophila (13.07%).
    [Show full text]