Recovery of Aeromonas hydrophila associated with bacteraemia in captive snakes

Citation

Orozova P, Sirakov I, Petkov I, Crumlish M & Austin B (2012) Recovery of Aeromonas hydrophila associated with bacteraemia in captive snakes. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 334 (1), pp. 22-26. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6968.2012.02613.x

Abstract
Captive snakes, that is, a Jamaican boa (Epicrates subflavus) a yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus) and a corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus guttatus), died with signs of bacteraemia including the presence of petechial haemorrhages in the mouth and gums and haemorrhages in the lung, spleen and intestines. The abdomen and anus were swollen with bloody-tinged mucus in the colon. Aeromonas hydrophila was recovered in dense virtually pure culture growth from the internal organs. Characterization of the isolates was by phenotyping and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (sequence homology of 99% with A. hydrophila) with outputs confirming the identity as A. hydrophila. Pathogenicity experiments confirmed virulence to frogs (Rana esculenta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Keywords
Aeromonas hydrophila; captive snakes; bacteraemia; temperature stress; 16S rRNA gene sequencing

Journal
FEMS Microbiology Letters: Volume 334, Issue 1

People

Professor Margaret Crumlish

Professor, Institute of Aquaculture