Branchial rickettsia-like infection associated with clam Venerupis rhomboides mortality

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

Laura Corral¹  Antonio Villalba¹  Carmen López¹  Carlos Azevedo¹  María J. Carballal¹  Azucena Cabada¹ 

关键词: Venerupis rhomboides;    Parasites;    Rickettsia-like organisms;    Histopathology;    Ultrastructure;   

DOI  :  10.3354/dao036053

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: A histopathological survey was performed to search for the cause of high mortality of the clam Venerupis rhomboides (Pennant) in exploited beds of the Ensenada de Riveira (Ría de Arousa, Galicia, NW Spain). V.rhomboides from 2 beds affected by high mortality, Airós and Coroso, and a 3rd non-affected bed, Agudos, were sampled in spring and autumn of 1996. In addition, clams of the species Venerupis pullastra, with unnoticeable mortality,were taken from Airós during autumn sampling. According to prevalence, infection intensity and associated histopathological signs, a branchial rickettsia-like organism was the only pathogen that could be tentatively blamed for the mortality. Spherical toelongated intracytoplasmic rickettsia-like colonies up to 25 µm in length were observed at the base of gill filaments of the clams. Transmission electron microscopy study permitted identification of the micro-organisms in the colonies as rickettsia-like.Individual prokaryotes measured about 0.5 to 0.8 µm in diameter and up to 3 µm in length. The infection process resulted in extreme hypertrophy and lysis of host epithelial cells. Infection intensity was rated for each clam and comparison amonghigh-mortality-affected and non-affected populations indicated the branchial rickettsia-like infection as the probable cause of the high mortality.

【 授权许可】

Unknown