Infectious gastroenteritis caused by Vibrio harveyi (V-carchariae) in cultured red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus

An outbreak of serious mortality among the cultured red drum Sciaenops ocellatus (L.) characterized by a swollen intestine containing transparent yellow fluid (ascites and gastroenteritis) occurred in July 2000 in Taiwan. A motile strain Rd 0700 was isolated from head kidney and/or the intestinal yellow fluid on tryptone soya agar (TSA) supplemented with 2% (w/v) NaCl and/or thiosulfate citrate bile salt (TCBS) sucrose agar plates. Applying biochemical characteristics, this strain was characterized and identified as Vibrio harveyi (V. carchariae). The bacteria could be re-isolated from kidney, liver, and the transparent yellow fluid of swollen intestine of fish after bacterial challenge. The LD50 values of the organism and its extracellular products (ECP) were 2.9x10(7) colony forming units (CFU) and 3.85 mu g protein g(-1) fish body weight, respectively. All moribund/dead fish exhibited gastroenteritis except those killed within 12 h. This is a first report showing that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of the ECP from V. carchariae is lethal to red drum and can reproduce gastroenteritis in the fish.