Assessment of a magnetic bead-EIA based kit for rapid diagnosis of fish pasteurellosis

The accuracy of the magnetic beads-EIA based BIONOR AQUAEIA-Pp kit for the rapid diagnosis of pasteurellosis was evaluated. The kit reacted with all t he Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida strains included in this study, with a detection limit of 10(4) bacteria/ml. However, non-specific reactio ns were observed with isolates of Ph. damselae subsp. damselae or Ph. hista minum when the bacterial concentration was high (10(9)-10(10) bacteria/ml). Similar findings in specificity and sensitivity were observed when the kit was applied to experimentally infected fish tissues. However, since those bacterial species are not usually found in the fish species susceptible to pasteurellosis, the AQUAEIA kit appears applicable for a rapid screening of the disease. In addition, when the kit was utilized to analyze cultured po pulations of seabream, it allowed the detection of the pathogen, not only i n individuals affected by the disease, but also in asymptomatic carrier fis h. Furthermore, the positive detection of Ph. damselae subsp. piscicida in broodstock gonads, seminal, and ovaric fluids, and also in eggs indicated t he possibility of vertical transmission of pasteurellosis. (C) 1999 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.