Bacterial cold water disease

Bacterial cold water disease (BCWD) is a bacterial disease of freshwater fish, specifically salmonid fish. It is caused by the bacterium Flavobacterium psychrophilum (previously classified in the genus Cytophaga),[1] a psychrophilic,[2] gram-negative[2] rod-shaped bacterium of the family Flavobacteriaceae.[3] This bacterium is found in fresh waters with the optimal growth temperature below 13 °C, and it can be seen in any area with water temperatures consistently below 15 °C.[4] Salmon are the most commonly affected species. This disease is not zoonotic.

Asymptomatic carrier fish and contaminated water provide reservoirs for disease.[5] Transmission is mainly via horizontal gene transfer, but vertical transmission can also occur.[4]

BCWD may be referred to by a number of other names including cold water disease, peduncle disease,[6] fit rot, tail rot and rainbow trout fry mortality syndrome.

  1. ^ "Bacterial Coldwater Disease (BCWD)-Flavobacterium psychrophilum" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-03.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference BCD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Nematollahi, A.; et al. (2003). "Flavobacterium psychrophilum infections in salmonid fish". Journal of Fish Diseases. 26 (10): 563–74. Bibcode:2003JFDis..26..563N. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2761.2003.00488.x. PMID 14653314.
  4. ^ a b Starliper, Clifford E. (2011). "Bacterial coldwater disease of fishes caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum". Journal of Advanced Research. 2 (2): 97–108. doi:10.1016/j.jare.2010.04.001.
  5. ^ Brown, LL; Cox, WT; Levine, RP (1997). "Evidence that the causal agent of bacterial cold-water disease Flavobacterium psychrophilum is transmitted within salmonid eggs". Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 29: 213–8. doi:10.3354/dao029213.
  6. ^ Cipriano, Rocco C.; Holt, Richard A. (2005). Flavobacterium psychrophilum, cause of Bacterial Cold-Water Disease and Rainbow Trout Fry Syndrome (PDF).[permanent dead link‍]