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Lice Infections (louse + infections)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Earth and Environmental Science	100%

Selected Abstracts

Disease interaction between farmed and wild fish populations

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 2004
E. J. Peeler
This paper reviews the literature on disease interaction between wild and farmed fish and recommends strategies to reduce the disease risks to both populations. Most, if not all, diseases of farmed fish originate in wild populations. The close contact between farmed and wild fish readily leads to pathogens exchange. Aquaculture creates conditions (e.g. high stocking levels) conducive to pathogen transmission and disease; hence pathogens can overspill back, resulting in high levels of challenge to wild populations. This is exemplified by sea lice infections in farmed Atlantic salmon. Stocking with hatchery reared fish or aquaculture escapees can affect disease dynamics in wild populations. Whirling disease has been spread to many wild rainbow trout populations in the US with the release of hatchery reared stock. The greatest impact of aquaculture on disease in wild populations has resulted from the movement of fish for cultivation. Examples of exotic disease introduction following movement of live fish for aquaculture with serious consequences for wild populations are reviewed. The salmon parasite, Gyrodactylus salaris, has destroyed wild salmon populations in 44 Norwegian rivers. Crayfish plague has wiped out European crayfish over much of Europe. Eels numbers have declined in Europe and infection with the swimbladder nematode Anguillicola crassus has in part been blamed. The impact of disease in farmed fish on wild populations can mitigated. Risk analysis methods need to be refined and applied to live fish movement and new aquacultural developments. Appropriate biosecurity strategies, based on risk assessments, should be developed to reduce pathogen exchange and mitigate the consequences. [source]

Modulation of the innate immune response of rohu Labeo rohita (Hamilton) by experimental freshwater lice Argulus siamensis (Wilson) infection

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 9 2010
Shailesh Saurabh
Abstract The study was undertaken to determine the modulation in innate immune response of rohu (Labeo rohita) during experimental freshwater lice Argulus siamensis infection. Results showed that serum ,-2 macroglobulin (,-2M) activity, ceruloplasmin level and alternative complement activity were significantly (P<0.05) lower in fish at different degrees of lice infection in comparison with uninfected control. No significant difference (P>0.05) in haemagglutination titre was observed in fish with low- and high-degree lice infections as compared with uninfected control. The serum lysozyme level was significantly (P<0.05) lower in low degree of lice infection as compared with control fish. The total serum antiprotease, myeloperoxidase activity and total protein level were not significantly different (P>0.05) in different degrees of lice-infected fish with respect to the control fish. The study indicated that A. siamensis infection modulated the immune system of rohu by suppressing the ,-2M, serum complement activities and ceruloplasmin level and through induction of stress response. The baseline data obtained in the present study have tremendous importance in understanding the susceptibility of rohu to different degrees of parasitosis and might be useful in controlling this dreaded ectoparasitic infection in fish. [source]

Salmon lice infection of wild sea trout and Arctic char in marine and freshwaters: the effects of salmon farms

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 12 2001
P A Bjørn
Abstract The abundance of salmon lice and the physiological effects of infection were examined in two stocks of sympatric sea trout and anadromous Arctic char in northern Norway. One stock feed in a coastal area with extensive salmon farming (exposed locality), while the other feed in a region with little farming activity (unexposed locality). The results showed that the lice infection was significantly higher at the exposed locality, at which the mean intensity of infection peaked in June and July at over 100 and 200 lice larvae per fish respectively. At the exposed locality we also observed a premature return to freshwater of the most heavily infected fish. Such behaviour has previously been interpreted as a response by the fish to reduce the stress caused by the infection and/or to enhance survival. Blood samples taken from sea trout at sea at the exposed locality showed a positive correlation between intensity of parasite infection and an increase in the plasma cortisol, chloride and blood glucose concentrations, while the correlations from sea trout in freshwater were more casual. Several indices pointed towards an excessive mortality of the heaviest infected fish, and 47% of the fish caught in freshwater and 32% of those captured at sea carried lice at intensities above the level that has been shown to induce mortality in laboratory experiments. Furthermore, almost half of all fish from the exposed locality had lice intensities that would probably cause osmoregulatory imbalance. High salmon lice infections may therefore have profound negative effects upon wild populations of sea trout. At the unexposed location, the infection intensities were low, and few fish carried more than 10 lice. These are probably within the normal range of natural infection and such intensities are not expected to affect the stock negatively. [source]

Laboratory and field investigations of salmon lice [Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer)] infestation on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) post-smolts

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 11 2000
B Finstad
Abstract Hatchery-reared 1-year-old Atlantic salmon post-smolts (Salmo salar L.), artificially infected with salmon lice [Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer)] copepodids, were found to suffer from primary alterations (increased cortisol levels) at early lice stages. Secondary alterations, such as osmotic stress (increased chloride levels), first occurred after the preadult stages of the lice appeared. Fish with the highest salmon lice infections died throughout the experiment. Seven years of field investigation of Trondheimsfjorden showed that Atlantic salmon post-smolts descending coastal waters can become heavily infected with salmon lice. The migrating post-smolts were only infected with the chalimus stages, showing that the fish had only recently left the rivers. The infection level, however, varied considerably between the years, and, in 1998, the infection was higher than previous years. The experimental results have been combined with the field data to appraise the consequences of the infection. [source]