Research on Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 1530

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia – UFBA, Salvador, BA, Brazil
Interests: aquaculture pathogen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
Interests: aquaculture

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Aquatic Organisms, Sao Paulo State University (Unesp), Aquaculture Center of Unesp, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
Interests: aquaculture; fish disease; fish diagnosis; prevention of disease in aquaculture; control and treatment of disease in aquaculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The higher potential for aquatic organism production worldwide is restricted by several obstacles, which are hindering the development of the sector. Among them, the occurrence of outbreaks of infection diseases is a limiting factor in the advancement of different aquaculture branches. Microorganisms (bacteria, virus, and oomycetes) and parasites have been commonly associated with outbreaks in fish, crustaceans, bivalve mollusks, amphibians, and other aquatic animals.

Information about the biology and etiology of pathogens, the epidemiology of diseases affecting aquatic organisms, alternative forms of prevention, and strategies for strengthening the immune system of these organisms are relevant for studies related to the health of organisms with potential for cultivation and commercialization, given the significant increase in these activities around the world. Various aspects of diseases in aquatic organisms need to be discussed, including prophylactic and therapeutic measures and water quality in aquaculture. These aspects must be improved or implemented to mitigate the emergence of pathogenic agents and the occurrence of diseases in aquaculture.   

This Special Issue “Research on Diseases of Aquatic Organisms” aims to provide a collection of high-quality studies focused on the identification and characterization of diseases, histopathology, host immune responses, molecular epidemiology, antimicrobial peptides, antimicrobial resistance, vaccination, treatment and control strategies, and omics studies in aquatic animals.

Prof. Dr. Geovana Dotta
Prof. Dr. Guilherme Tavares
Dr. Fabiana Pilarski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • conservation and welfare of aquatic animals
  • ecotoxicology of aquatic environments
  • amphibian health and diseases
  • crustacean health and diseases
  • fish health and diseases
  • health and diseases of bivalve mollusks
  • health and diseases of other aquatic animals

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 1759 KiB  
Article
Antimicrobial Resistance in Lactococcus spp. Isolated from Native Brazilian Fish Species: A Growing Challenge for Aquaculture
by Angélica Emanuely Costa do Rosário, Angelo Carlo Chaparro Barbanti, Helena Caldeira Matos, Cynthia Rafaela Monteiro da Silva Maia, Júlia Miranda Trindade, Luiz Fagner Ferreira Nogueira, Fabiana Pilarski, Silvia Umeda Gallani, Carlos Augusto Gomes Leal, Henrique César Pereira Figueiredo and Guilherme Campos Tavares
Microorganisms 2024, 12(11), 2327; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12112327 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 346
Abstract
Lactococcus spp. has emerged as a pathogen that is affecting global aquaculture, with L. garvieae, L. petauri, and L. formosensis causing piscine lactococcosis. While antimicrobials are commonly used to treat diseases in aquaculture, reports of antimicrobial resistance in fish isolates are [...] Read more.
Lactococcus spp. has emerged as a pathogen that is affecting global aquaculture, with L. garvieae, L. petauri, and L. formosensis causing piscine lactococcosis. While antimicrobials are commonly used to treat diseases in aquaculture, reports of antimicrobial resistance in fish isolates are increasing. However, little is known about the susceptibility patterns of Lactococcus spp. strains isolated from native fish species in Brazil. This study aimed to assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of these strains and establish a provisional epidemiological cutoff value for L. garvieae using the normalized resistance interpretation approach. A total of 47 isolates were tested: 17 L. garvieae, 24 L. petauri, and 6 L. formosensis. The isolates were classified as wild-type (WT) or non-wild-type (NWT) based on inhibition zone diameters. Isolates classified as NWT for three or more antimicrobial classes were considered multidrug-resistant, and the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was calculated. The results revealed heterogeneity in antimicrobial resistance profiles, with higher resistance to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and norfloxacin. Resistance to other antimicrobials, including florfenicol and oxytetracycline (approved for use in Brazil), varied according to the bacterial species. Lactococcus petauri (87.5%) and L. formosensis (66.7%) showed the highest multidrug resistance, compared to L. garvieae (11.7%), along with higher MAR index values. These findings suggest that multidrug-resistant strains could pose future challenges in the production of native species, underscoring the need for ongoing monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and responsible use of antimicrobials in aquaculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Diseases of Aquatic Organisms)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 5038 KiB  
Article
Potentially Pathogenic Vibrio spp. in Algal Wrack Accumulations on Baltic Sea Sandy Beaches
by Marija Kataržytė, Greta Gyraitė, Greta Kalvaitienė, Diana Vaičiūtė, Otilija Budrytė and Martynas Bučas
Microorganisms 2024, 12(10), 2101; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12102101 - 21 Oct 2024
Viewed by 711
Abstract
The Vibrio bacteria known to cause infections to humans and wildlife have been largely overlooked in coastal environments affected by beach wrack accumulations from seaweed or seagrasses. This study presents findings on the presence and distribution of potentially pathogenic Vibrio species on coastal [...] Read more.
The Vibrio bacteria known to cause infections to humans and wildlife have been largely overlooked in coastal environments affected by beach wrack accumulations from seaweed or seagrasses. This study presents findings on the presence and distribution of potentially pathogenic Vibrio species on coastal beaches that are used for recreation and are affected by red-algae-dominated wrack. Using species-specific primers and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we identified V. vulnificus, V. cholerae (non-toxigenic), and V. alginolyticus, along with 14 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to the Vibrio genus in such an environment. V. vulnificus and V. cholerae were most frequently found in water at wrack accumulation sites and within the wrack itself compared to sites without wrack. Several OTUs were exclusive to wrack accumulation sites. For the abundance and presence of V. vulnificus and the presence of V. cholerae, the most important factors in the water were the proportion of V. fucoides in the wrack, chl-a, and CDOM. Specific Vibrio OTUs correlated with salinity, water temperature, cryptophyte, and blue-green algae concentrations. To better understand the role of wrack accumulations in Vibrio abundance and community composition, future research should include different degradation stages of wrack, evaluate the link with nutrient release, and investigate microbial food-web interactions within such ecosystems, focusing on potentially pathogenic Vibrio species that could be harmful both for humans and wildlife. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Diseases of Aquatic Organisms)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop