Mycobacteriosis in zebrafish (Danio rerio) research facilities

doi:10.1016/j.cca.2004.08.005

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology

Volume 138, Issue 3, July 2004, Pages 383-390

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2004.08.005 Get rights and content

Abstract

The Zebrafish International Resource Center was established to support the zebrafish research community, and includes a diagnostic service. One of the most common diseases that we have diagnosed is mycobacteriosis, which represented 18% of the diagnostic cases submitted from November 1999 to June 2003. We describe here the severity of the disease and associated pathological changes of 24 diagnostic cases from 14 laboratories. Identifications of the bacteria are provided for seven of these cases. For two cases in which culture of the organism was not successful, these identifications were based on ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence analysis obtained directly from infected tissues. Biochemical characteristics and rDNA sequence analysis from cultures are reported for the other isolates. Two severe outbreaks from different facilities on different continents were associated with an organism identified as Mycobacterium haemophilum based on rDNA sequence from tissues. Another severe outbreak was associated with an organism most closely related to Mycobacterium peregrinum. These species are recognized pathogens of humans, but this is the first report of them from fish. Bacteria identified as Mycobacterium chelonae or M. abscessus were recovered from fish in cases categorized as moderate disease or as an incidental finding. These findings indicate that species of Mycobacterium previously undescribed from fish (i.e., M. haemophilum and M. peregrinum) may pose significant health problems in zebrafish research facilities, whereas species and strains that are already recognized as common in fish usually cause limited disease on a population basis in zebrafish.

Introduction

Mycobacteriosis is a common disease in wild and captive fishes (Chinabut, 1999). Mycobacterium infections are particularly common in ornamental marine and freshwater fishes (Noga, 2000). Bacterial species frequently associated with fish mycobacteriosis include M. marinum, M. chelonae, M. abscessus, and M. fortuitum (Chinabut, 1999).

There has been a dramatic increase in the use of small fishes in research, particularly zebrafish (Danio rerio). Fish mycobacteriosis, therefore, is now a concern to laboratory animal veterinarians and others responsible for these animals (Astrofsky et al., 2000, Sanders and Swaim, 2001). The Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC) was established at the University of Oregon in 1998 to support researchers using zebrafish. As part of ZIRC, we offer a diagnostic service to the research community using histopathology as the primary diagnostic method. Since we began our diagnostic service in 1999, we have found that mycobacteriosis is a common infectious diseases in zebrafish research facilities. Astrofsky et al. (2000) reported mycobacteriosis in zebrafish obtained from two research colonies, in which M. fortuitum, M. chelonae and M. abscessus infections were identified. We describe here the clinical presentation and pathological changes associated with mycobacterial infections in cases from the ZIRC Diagnostic Service. We also provide identification of certain isolates based on phenotypic characters and DNA sequences.

Section snippets

Diagnostic service

The ZIRC diagnostic service is available for researchers using zebrafish (http://zfin.org/zirc/home/stckctr.php). Fish are submitted either live or preserved in Dietrich's fixative. Case information includes husbandry characteristics, fish strains, and clinical information. Case numbers were assigned for this manuscript by severity of disease (Table 1), and do not correspond to our diagnostic case numbers in the ZIRC database.

Histopathology

Fish were preserved in Dietrich's fixative, except for fish from case

Clinical disease

From 1999 through June 2003, we diagnosed mycobacteriosis in 24 of 133 (18%) of our diagnostic cases at 13 of 32 of the facilities that have submitted samples. Severity of disease ranged from massive outbreaks (in which mortalities ranged from greater than 20% to a severity in which the entire population was euthanized), to moderate outbreaks (in which mortality was less than 15%), to incidental findings (where mycobacteriosis was a secondary finding) (Table 1). Although several of the fish

Discussion

Most reports of mycobacteriosis in fishes are associated with infections by M. marinum, M. chelonae, or M. fortuitum (Chinabut, 1999, Descostere et al., 2004). However, several new species have recently been implicated as pathogens of fish (Herbst et al., 2001, Rhodes et al., 2003, Whipps et al., 2003). Astrofsky et al. (2000) found variable presentations associated with infections by M. chelonae, M. fortuitum and M. abscessus in zebrafish colonies. Interestingly, neither Astrofsky et al. (2000)

Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by NIH grants 5R24RR017386-02 and P40 RR12546.

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^☆: This paper is based on a presentation given at the conference: Aquatic Animal Models of Human Disease hosted by the American Type Culture Collection and the University of Miami in Manassas, Virginia, USA, September 29–October 2, 2003.

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Mycobacteriosis in zebrafish (Danio rerio) research facilities☆

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Diagnostic service

Histopathology

Clinical disease

Discussion

Acknowledgements

J. Mol. Biol.

Lancet

Tuber. Lung Dis.

Vet. Microbiol.

Diagnosis and management of atypical Mycobacterium spp. infections in established laboratory zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) facilities

Comp. Med.

Clinical and taxonomic status of pathogenic nonpigmented or late-pigmenting rapidly growing mycobacteria

Clin. Microbiol. Rev.

Mycobacteriosis and Nocardiosis

Atypical cutaneous mycobacteriosis diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction

Br. J. Dermatol.

Piscine mycobacteriosis: a literature review covering the agent and the disease it causes in fish and humans