Systemic infection in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar with a Dermocystidium-like species

Abstract
A chronic mortality in subadult Atlantic salmon Salmo salar reared in California was caused by systemic infections with a Dermocystidium-like species. Parasitic cells occurred primarily at the periphery of granulomas in the kidney, liver, spleen and testes. Actively replicating vegetative stages 2 to 7 .mu.m in diameter were also found within melanomacrophages of the kidney. These stages contained a dense granular cytoplasm with osmiophilic inclusions, a nucleus with an indistinct nucleolus and were surrounded by thick, Periodic-Acid-Schiff-positive cell walls. The parasite induces a similar disease and has structural affinities to Dermocystidium spp. described as causes of systemic infections in salmonids in Europe.

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