Fish disease experts have isolated four new strains of the fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare from Brazil.
A team of scientists from Brazil isolated and characterised four new strains of the bacteria using biochemical reactions, enzyme production, fatty acid profiles and an analysis of a specific part of their DNA.
This is the first time that specific strains of Flavobacterium have been reported in Brazil.
The disease, which is usually referred to as columnaris or under its old name of Flexibacter among fishkeepers, was first described by Herbert Spencer Davis in 1922, but a number of different strains have been identified since then.
The disease is the second largest killer of fish in the US Channel catfish farming industry behind the bacterium Edwardsiella ictalurii.
For more details see the paper: Figueiredo HC, Klesius PH, Arias CR, Evans J, Shoemaker CA, Pereira DJ, Peixoto MT. (2005) - Isolation and characterization of strains of Flavobacterium columnare from Brazil. J Fish Dis. 2005 Apr ; 28(4): 199-204.