Redshark1
I hope you will find this interesting - I think it is essential information for all aquarists, though you may have already obtained it from elsewhere.
I have just read a scientific paper on Columnaris disease and made some notes to test my knowledge and retain information to look up later when my brain has forgotten.
The scientists were doing their research at Ghent University in Belgium, which funnily enough is where I first got to know my wife as she was also studying there.
As Columnaris is such an important disease to us fish keepers, accounting for many of our disease problems, I thought I would post my notes here for people interested. It may be easier to read my notes than wade through the scientific paper as I have done to get the same information. However, it may lead you to look up further information as I have not gone to town explaining things that I already understand.
I will say one more important thing and that is the paper is a summary of our knowledge in 2013 so things could well have moved on since then, particularly as the fish-farming industry is losing millions or even billions to Columnaris every year. If you come up with more up to date information please post it here thanks.
(PDF) Columnaris disease in fish: A review with emphasis on bacterium-hot interactions
Columnaris disease in fish: a review with emphasis on bacterium-host interactions
Columnaris Notes:
Aerobic bacteria that are able to move by gliding (in unison not singly) on wet surfaces.
They have the ability to live commensally on fish
An infected fish can give off 5,000 colony-forming bacteria per hour.
Dead fish can have a higher transmission rate compared to living fish
The bacterium can remain infectious in water for 5 months
In unfavourable conditions they are able to form fruiting bodies with microspores
They can also form microcysts in order to spread and also survive unfavourable periods
Columnaris is distributed worldwide in fresh water and may infect many different species
It causes 30 million dollars pa damage in the catfish industry of the United States of America
Columnaris causes acute to chronic infections typically in the gills, the skin and the fins
This can progress to water-logging and septicaemia
It varies according to the strain
It is common for the disease to begin at the base of the dorsal fin and encircle the fish and this is referred to as saddle-back disease
Mouth rot also occurs and is termed mouth fungus
Secondary infections with fungi and other bacteria deteriorate the situation and this is termed cotton wool disease
Damage caused to the fins is termed fin rot
Edema can occur and is termed Dropsy
Columnaris can gain entry to the fish through wounds that damage the slime coat
Columnaris can somehow stick to the slime coat that normally protects the fish but this is poorly understood
When it attacks the skin it can penetrate into the muscle and produces an enzyme to do this
Columnaris releases bactericidal substances to eliminate competing bacteria
Fish can be protected from subsequent Columnaris infections by the adaptive immune system
Poor water quality and parasites increase the susceptibility of fish to Columnaris
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by reducing fish density
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by reducing the organic load
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by adding salt
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by regular feeding
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with a copper sulphate bath
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with potassium permanganate
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with oxytetracycline
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with a vaccine
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with probiotics
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by breeding resistant fish including hybrids
Treatment of Columnaris is helped at an early stage by baths in chloramphenicol, nifurpirinol, nifurprazine and oxolinic acid
Treatment of Columnaris is helped at an advanced stage by oxytetracycline, nitrofuran and florfenicol given orally in the feed
The use of antimicrobial agents has negative attributes including allergic reactions from handling food, the emergence of drug-resistant Columnaris and the transfer of these resistant traits to the environment and to human-associated bacteria
Treatment of Columnaris is helped by the chemicals diquat, copper sulphate, potassium permanganate (the latter adjusted for the organic load)
Some phages are known to inhibit growth or lyse Columnaris and should be studied further
Despite the worldwide importance of Columnaris disease there are major knowledge gaps on how the pathogen is able to establish and maintain a grip on the skin and gill tissue and elicit disease and mortality
I have just read a scientific paper on Columnaris disease and made some notes to test my knowledge and retain information to look up later when my brain has forgotten.
The scientists were doing their research at Ghent University in Belgium, which funnily enough is where I first got to know my wife as she was also studying there.
As Columnaris is such an important disease to us fish keepers, accounting for many of our disease problems, I thought I would post my notes here for people interested. It may be easier to read my notes than wade through the scientific paper as I have done to get the same information. However, it may lead you to look up further information as I have not gone to town explaining things that I already understand.
I will say one more important thing and that is the paper is a summary of our knowledge in 2013 so things could well have moved on since then, particularly as the fish-farming industry is losing millions or even billions to Columnaris every year. If you come up with more up to date information please post it here thanks.
(PDF) Columnaris disease in fish: A review with emphasis on bacterium-hot interactions
Columnaris disease in fish: a review with emphasis on bacterium-host interactions
Columnaris Notes:
Aerobic bacteria that are able to move by gliding (in unison not singly) on wet surfaces.
They have the ability to live commensally on fish
An infected fish can give off 5,000 colony-forming bacteria per hour.
Dead fish can have a higher transmission rate compared to living fish
The bacterium can remain infectious in water for 5 months
In unfavourable conditions they are able to form fruiting bodies with microspores
They can also form microcysts in order to spread and also survive unfavourable periods
Columnaris is distributed worldwide in fresh water and may infect many different species
It causes 30 million dollars pa damage in the catfish industry of the United States of America
Columnaris causes acute to chronic infections typically in the gills, the skin and the fins
This can progress to water-logging and septicaemia
It varies according to the strain
It is common for the disease to begin at the base of the dorsal fin and encircle the fish and this is referred to as saddle-back disease
Mouth rot also occurs and is termed mouth fungus
Secondary infections with fungi and other bacteria deteriorate the situation and this is termed cotton wool disease
Damage caused to the fins is termed fin rot
Edema can occur and is termed Dropsy
Columnaris can gain entry to the fish through wounds that damage the slime coat
Columnaris can somehow stick to the slime coat that normally protects the fish but this is poorly understood
When it attacks the skin it can penetrate into the muscle and produces an enzyme to do this
Columnaris releases bactericidal substances to eliminate competing bacteria
Fish can be protected from subsequent Columnaris infections by the adaptive immune system
Poor water quality and parasites increase the susceptibility of fish to Columnaris
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by reducing fish density
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by reducing the organic load
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by adding salt
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by regular feeding
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with a copper sulphate bath
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with potassium permanganate
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with oxytetracycline
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with a vaccine
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by treating fish with probiotics
Prevention of Columnaris is helped by breeding resistant fish including hybrids
Treatment of Columnaris is helped at an early stage by baths in chloramphenicol, nifurpirinol, nifurprazine and oxolinic acid
Treatment of Columnaris is helped at an advanced stage by oxytetracycline, nitrofuran and florfenicol given orally in the feed
The use of antimicrobial agents has negative attributes including allergic reactions from handling food, the emergence of drug-resistant Columnaris and the transfer of these resistant traits to the environment and to human-associated bacteria
Treatment of Columnaris is helped by the chemicals diquat, copper sulphate, potassium permanganate (the latter adjusted for the organic load)
Some phages are known to inhibit growth or lyse Columnaris and should be studied further
Despite the worldwide importance of Columnaris disease there are major knowledge gaps on how the pathogen is able to establish and maintain a grip on the skin and gill tissue and elicit disease and mortality
