Grand Forks Herald | CATFISH DIE-OFF: DNR results cite two bacterial infections

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

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CATFISH DIE-OFF: DNR results cite two bacterial
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By Brad Dokken, Herald Staff Writer Most popular articles
Published Tuesday, September 18, 2007 Breaking News E-mail
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Home Preliminary results from the Minnesota Department of Natural indicate a
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News near-dead catfish captured for testing from the Red River near Grand
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Staff from the DNR's pathology lab in St. Paul said Monday they had
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Business found columnaris bacteria on the gill of the catfish, and a second
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bacteria, aeromonas, from a skin lesion and from samples of the kidney
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Both bacteria occur naturally but typically don't affect fish unless there's
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upstream from Grand Forks. Sept. 10, a crew from the DNR's area LUBE TECHNICIAN Experience
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nine-mile stretch of river upstream from Grand Forks. DEVELOPMENT HOMES, INC. Has
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Member Center The DNR crew also captured the single live fish that was sent to St. Paul
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Contact Us hemorrhaged liver and necrotic, or dead, tissue in the gills. The fish's
Resources head was badly discovered, and one eyeball was beginning to decay.
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In an e-mail circulated to DNR staff Monday, Ling Shen, fisheries health

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specialist for the agency in St. Paul, said it's difficult to say which Chevrolet Tahoe
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infection occurred first. The likely scenario, she said, is that columnaris $7,420
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affected the gills and weakened the fish's immune system, and
aeromonas occurred as secondary infection and caused the rest of the
damage.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=50678&section=news (1 of 2) [9/19/2007 7:04:26 AM]

 Grand Forks Herald | CATFISH DIE-OFF: DNR results cite two bacterial infections

Additional tests are planned to confirm the diagnosis and rule out the
possibility of viruses such as channel catfish virus or viral hemorrhagic
septicemia, also known as VHS. Results from the viral tests won't be
available for some time, Shen wrote in her e-mail.

Monday's preliminary diagnosis is consistent with earlier predictions that

columnaris likely had triggered the die-off. Lynn Schlueter, Red River
fisheries biologist for the Game and Fish Department in Devils Lake, said
he wasn't surprised by the aeromonas finding, either.

“Both of those are fairly common diseases, both in hatchery situations

and in the wild,” Schlueter said. “And with any disease like this, you've
got to have all of the factors in place and just right for the stuff to really
blossom. Typically, a lot of this is temperature dependent. It's out there
and doesn't show up until you get that first blast-off of cold.”

For managers and others studying the die-off, the next step is to figure
out what made the catfish susceptible to infection.

“Let's take a look at what conditions were ahead of the outbreak,”

Schlueter said. “While we might not be able to prevent it, at least we can
start being aware of what triggered it.”

Reach Dokken at 780-1148, (800) 477-6572 ext. 148, or

bdokken@gfherald.com.

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http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=50678&section=news (2 of 2) [9/19/2007 7:04:26 AM]