USE OF NONLETHAL PROCEDURES TO DETECT AND MONITOR AEROMONAS-SALMONICIDA IN POTENTIALLY ENDANGERED OR THREATENED POPULATIONS OF MIGRATING AND POST-SPAWNING SALMON

Non-lethal assay of mucus was assessed for detection of Aeromonas salm onicida among feral populations of salmon returning to the Salmon Rive r (Altmar, NY, USA). A. salmonicida was isolated from returns of 2 yea r classes of coho Oncorhynchus kisutch and chinook O. tshawytscha salm on. Data suggested that non-lethal assay of mucus was comparable to st andard lethal procedures used to detect and isolate A. salmonicida fro m kidney tissues. Non-lethal procedures were also used to detect A, sa lmonicida and monitor the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy for the control of furunculosis among valuable Atlantic salmon Salmo salar bro odstock maintained at the Richard Cronin National Salmon Station (Sund erland, MA, USA).