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. 1994 Dec 1;35(4):355–362. doi: 10.1186/BF03548308

Characterization of Vibrio anguillarum Strains Isolated from Diseased Fish in Finland

Karakterisering af Vibrio anguillarum isoleret fra sy ge fisk i Finland

T Tiainen 16,✉, J L Larsen 26, S Pelkonen 16
PMCID: PMC8101381  PMID: 7676917

Abstract

Characterization of V anguillarum strains (n=109) isolated from diseased salmonids was performed. Eight O serovars were found among the strains. Serovar Ol was predominant (90 %), while serovars O2, O3, O5, O8, O9, and a new serovar Va NT2, were represented by 1 or 2 strains. Two strains remained non-typeable. One of these was cross-reactive with several antisera, but had a LPS profile identical to that of serovar O8. All serovars showed specific LPS profiles. All but 1 of the Ol strains had a plasmid comparable in size to the pJMl virulence plasmid, while plasmids of different sizes were found in O2, Va NT2 and the non-typeable strains. Apart from a single strain resistant to tetracycline, all the strains were sensitive to oxolinic acid, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfonamides. By their biochemical and antigenic properties strains causing vibriosis among salmonids in Finland closely resemble Scandinavian strains. Predominance of the serovars Ol and O2 suggests that commercial vaccines containing these serovars should afford sufficient protection against vibriosis in Finland.

Keywords: salmonids, serovar, plasmid, lipopolysaccharide, biochemistry, susceptibility to antibiotics

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Acknowledgments

We thank Raili Schildt, National Veterinary and Food Research Institute, Helsinki and Hille vi Niiranen, Åbo Akademy, Turku, for providing strains for this study, Karl Pedersen and Nancy Noben for critical reading of the manuscript and Tarja Pohjanvirta for helpful ideas during the study. This study was supported by the Foundation of the High Technology of Savo, Finland, and by the Nordic Council of Ministers, Nordic Programme Committee for Biotechnology.

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