Aeromonas hydrophila: a Causative Agent for Tail Rot Disease in Freshwater Cultured Murray Cod Maccullochella peelii

Abstract

Tail rot disease is the cause of significant economic damage in freshwater farmed Murray cod Maccullochella peelii. Only scarce information is available on Aeromonas hydrophila as a possible causal agent for this disease. In this study, a virulent strain, temporarily named XY3, was isolated from diseased codfish suffering from tail rot disease, and identified as A. hydrophila through phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic characteristics. A. hydrophila possesses multiple virulence genes including aerA, ahpA, alt, ast and hlyA genes. In addition, it appears that isolate XY3 has developed multiple resistances to cephalosporin, chloromycetin, glycopeptides, macrolides, nitrofuran, and penicillin drugs, as well as to aminoglycosides, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines antibiotics for veterinary uses in aquaculture as revealed when screened against a range of common antibiotics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of tail rot disease caused by A. hydrophila in freshwater farmed codfish.