Apparent vascular hypertension associated with Amoebic Gill Disease affected Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) in Tasmania

• Main Authors: Powell, MD, Forster, ME, Nowak, BF
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: European Association of Fish Pathologist 2002
• Subjects: Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences; Fisheries Sciences; Fish Pests and Diseases; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://ecite.utas.edu.au/24183

The dorsal aortic (DAP), ventral aortic (VAP) blood pressures and heart rate were measured in Atlantic salmon affected with AGD in a clinical outbreak. DAP and VAP were high compared with published values for other salmonid species. Fish subjected to a 3-h freshwater bath and returned to seawater (the treatment of choice for AGD control) had a significantly lower dorsal aortic pressure, with values comparable to those for other salmonids. Heart rate was not affected by freshwater exposure. These data suggest that there may be a vascular hypertension associated with AGD in Atlantic salmon. Although the source of the hypertension remains to be identified, this finding may help to explain the poor post-stress survival of AGD-affected salmon.