Varracalbmi : a new bacterial panophthalmitis in farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

• Published in: Journal of Fish Diseases
• Main Authors: Valheim, M, Håstein, T, Myhr, E., Speilberg, L., Ferguson, H W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2000
• Subjects: Veterinary (miscellaneous); Aquatic Science; Atlantic salmon; Northern Norway; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2761.2000.00209.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1046%2Fj.1365-2761.2000.00209.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-2761.2000.00209.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1046/j.1365-2761.2000.00209.x

The present authors report the first description of a bacterial disease, Varracalbmi , recorded sporadically among seawater‐reared Atlantic salmon in northern Norway between 1989 and early 1992. The causative organism, a Gram‐negative, non‐motile, capsule‐forming, oxidase‐positive and facultatively anaerobic rod, has not previously been described. The mean water temperatures during the outbreaks varied from 2.5 to 8 °C. The disease was characterized by haemorrhagic and necrotizing pyogranulomatous inflammation which targeted the eye and resulted in panophthalmitis. Accompanying lesions included deep dermal ulcerations, necrotizing and haemorrhagic pyogranulomatous lesions in the visceral organs, and necrosis of the pseudobranch. The proposed name of the disease, Varracalbmi , is the Lappish name for ‘bloody eye’.