Abstract:
Summary
• 10 species of fish were targeted for collection, 60 fish per species
were to be collected.
• 9 ofthe 10 targeted species were successfully sampled. Only 7
channel catfish were captured. Total of 547 fish were screened for
bacterial and viral pathogens of concern.
• 60 lake whitefish were tested for the presence of Myxobolus cerebralis
(causative agent of whirling disease).
• There was no clinical evidence of disease suggestive of an infection
with any bacterial and viral pathogens of concern in any of the fish
examined. Lymphocystis and dermal sarcoma, both neoplasias
having viral etiologies were observed in a small number of walleye
and sauger.
• Virus was not isolated from any of the samples received, nor were
any bacterial pathogens of concern (e.g. Aeromonas salmonicida,
causative agent offurunculosis, and Yersinia ruckeri, causative agent
of enteric redmouth disease).
• Myxobolus cerebralis was not detected in the lake whitefish sample.
• The Winnipeg Fish Health Laboratory used the indirect fluorescent
antibody technique to stain kidney smears to screen for the
prescence of Rellibacterium salmollillarum (causative agent for bacterial
kidney disease). The pathogen was not detected by this method in
either the samples processed in the Winnipeg Fish Health
Laboratory, nor the stained slide preparations received from the
Bozeman Fish Health Center. The inter-laboratory exchange of
material was undertaken to compare the results obtained in the two
laboratories because distinctly different methods of detection for
this pathogen were used in the respective laboratories.
