Yersiniosis outbreak in rainbow trout at fish farm in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

This study presents the results of an investigation conducted on an outbreak of Yersiniosis (Enteric red mouth disease) caused by Yersinia ruckeri at a rainbow trout farm situated at Adaba, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Seven diseased rainbow trout fish having average weight 80 - 100 grams and aged 9 months, were brought to the National Animal Health Diagnostic and Investigation Center (NAHDIC) for further examination and laboratory testing. The young sick fish showed clinical signs of darkening of the skin, loss of appetite and gasping at the surface of the water before death. The fish were sacrificed and examined thoroughly  externally for the presence of visible lesions. Scrapings were collected from the skin especially from areas around the fins and observed under the  stereomicroscope and also under the low power objective of the compound microscope. Bacteriological tests were carried out on samples from the kidney, liver and spleen. It was concluded that the fish were affected by Yersinia ruckeri based on colony morphology during growth on Tryptose Soy Agar (yellow colonies, gram negative and rodshaped) and distinctive biochemical characteristics. Y. ruckeri is identified from sick fish for the first time in Ethiopia. The protozoan parasites Trichodina species were also recovered in large colonies from the skin scrapings and histopathological sections of the gills. The pathological lesions recorded  included high degree anaemia of oral and branchial mucosa, congested gills, kidney and spleen and pale liver, congestion, extensive necrosis in the kidney and spleen, and infiltration with inflammatory cells. Antibiogram test conducted on the bacteria showed that the Y. ruckeri strain were susceptible to Oxytetracycline, Furazolidone, Trimethoprim and Streptomycin. This study showed the importance of stress induced by higher temperature and poor water quality associated with infestations by Trichodina species as predisposing factors to bacterial diseases in intensive fish farming practices. Key words: bacterial culture, histopathology, rainbow trout, Yersinia ruckeri, Trichodina species