| Summary: | Dermal lesions of American eel (Anguilla rostrata) have been reported from the wild as well as aquaculture facilities by eel potters around the Chesapeake Bay region, USA. A range of pathology is observed in these shallow to deep lesions, including petechiae, dermal erosion, inflammation, and myonecrosis, and the condition is termed as red sore disease (RSD). An RSD-like disease is also reported from other anguillid eels in the wild and aquaculture worldwide. The etiologic agent(s) of this condition in Chesapeake Bay have not yet been definitively determined, and are being investigated by current challenge studies. Here, we report on the whole genome sequencing of a bacterial isolate (AK-2020-508B) from a commercially harvested wild eel that exhibited external clinical signs and septicemia. Isolate AK-2020-508B was identified as a Vibrio sp. by 16S rRNA gene sequence and was confirmed to be Vibrio vulnificus using a whole genome sequencing approach. Further, this isolate was determined to be highly similar to European isolates of V. vulnificus serotype E from disease outbreaks in Anguilla anguilla. In this work we will present a comparative genomic analysis of AK-2020-508B with closely related V. vulnificus strains and discuss implications for health of eels in Chesapeake Bay as well as potential for zoonosis.
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