Characterization of Vibrio harveyi, the Causal Agent of Vibriosis in Cultured Marine Fishes in Korea

Characterization of Vibrio harveyi, the Causal Agent of Vibriosis in Cultured Marine Fishes in Korea

An epizootic causing mortality among cultured marine finfishes occurred in 1999 in the province of Kyoungsang, Korea. The disease was characterized by the presence of enterocele, abdominal swelling, and gastroenteritis. The causative bacteria were isolated from olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), black rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli), turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) and the rearing water. These bacteria showed swarming activity on agar plates and yellowish or greenish colonies on thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose (TCBS) agar plates, but no luminescence. The pathogen was identified as Vibrio harveyi based on morphological and biochemical characteristics and the sequence of l6S rDNA. The lethal doses (LD$_{50}$) of olive flounder and black rockfish were estimated to be $1.24\times10^6-1.36\times10^8$ and $3.24\times10^5-5.8\times10^7$ CFU/fish respectively following intraperitoneal injection.