Epizootics of Streptococcus agalactiae infection in captive rays from Queensland,Australia |
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| Authors: | R O Bowater M M Dennis D Blyde B Stone A C Barnes J Delamare‐Deboutteville M A Horton M White K Condon R Jones |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Agriculture & Fisheries, Biosecurity Queensland, Townsville, QLD, Australia;2. Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis;3. Sea World, Surfers Paradise, QLD, Australia;4. QML Vetnostics, Brisbane, QLD, Australia;5. School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Marine Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia;6. Treidlia Biovet Pty Ltd, Seven Hills, NSW, Australia;7. College of Public Health & Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia;8. The Aquarium Vet, Moorabbin, VIC, Australia |
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| Abstract: | The aim of this study was to describe two epizootics of high mortalities from infection with Streptococcus agalactiae, occurring in captive rays held in a marine display aquarium in south‐east Queensland, Australia, in 2009 and 2010. Five different species of rays were affected, including mangrove whiprays (Himantura granulata), estuary rays (Dasyatis fluviorum), eastern shovelnose rays (Aptychotrema rostrata), white‐spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari) and blue‐spotted mask rays (Neotrygon kuhlii). This report describes the history of both epizootics including collection, quarantine and husbandry of rays, the disease epizootics, clinico‐pathological features of the disease, antimicrobial therapy, autogenous vaccine production, and laboratory studies including clinical and histopathology, bacteriology, PCR, molecular serotyping and sequencing of the bacterium S. agalactiae. |
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| Keywords: | bacterium elasmobranch fish ray streptococcosis
Streptococcus agalactiae
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