Neurological symptoms in tricolor sharkminnow Balantiocheilos melanopterus associated with Myxobolus balantiocheili n. sp. infecting the central nervous system

A new species, Myxobolus balantiocheili, is described from the central nervous system of wild and cultured tricolor sharkminnow Balantiocheilos melanopterus from Thailand. The infection was associated with emaciation and severe neurological symptoms, including sudden uncoordinated darting, rolling a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Diseases of aquatic organisms Vol. 59; no. 2; pp. 135 - 140
Main Authors:	LEVSEN, Arne, ALVIK, Tor, GROTMOL, Sindre
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Oldendorf Inter-Research 05-05-2004
Subjects:	Animal aquaculture Animal productions Animals Aquaculture Balantiocheilos melanopterus Biological and medical sciences Central Nervous System - parasitology Central Nervous System - pathology Central Nervous System - physiopathology Cyprinidae Eukaryota - classification Eukaryota - cytology Fish Diseases - parasitology Fresh Water Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Histological Techniques Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Motor Activity - physiology Myxobolus balantiocheili Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology Nervous System Diseases - veterinary Pisciculture Protozoa Protozoan Infections, Animal - physiopathology Species Specificity Spores, Bacterial - ultrastructure Thailand Vertebrate aquaculture Thailand Asia Protozoa Farming animal Description Tricolor sharkminnow Taxonomy Central nervous system Diagnosis (taxonomy) Parasite Zoopathogen Myxobolus balantiocheili Thailand Cnidosporidia Pathology Vertebrata Anatomic pathology Pisces Morphology New species Balantiocheilos melanopterus Teleostei Osteichthyes
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Summary:	A new species, Myxobolus balantiocheili, is described from the central nervous system of wild and cultured tricolor sharkminnow Balantiocheilos melanopterus from Thailand. The infection was associated with emaciation and severe neurological symptoms, including sudden uncoordinated darting, rolling and pitching. Whitish cysts of varying shape, measuring 70 to 500 microm, were located in the brain, spinal cord and in the meninx, and were sometimes accompanied by haemorrhages. In the brain, most cysts were located in the medulla oblongata and the mesencephalon. Cysts with a segmental distribution were observed in the meninx of the spinal cord. Single di- to hexasporic pansporoblasts, and free mature spores, were frequently seen in both the white and grey matter of the brain and spinal cord, mostly associated with blood vessels. Mature spores varied in shape from oval to ellipsoid, measuring 12.3 +/- 0.59 (range 10.6 to 13.3) x 10.0 +/- 0.47 (9.2 to 10.9) x 6.9 +/- 0.20 (6.7 to 7.1) microm. Spore size and morphology, in addition to fish-host species and apparently narrow tissue tropism, clearly distinguishes this new Myxobolus. No marked inflammatory response or gliosis was associated with the lesions, but compression and degeneration of the nervous tissue surrounding large cysts was observed. We suggest that the high temperature of the fish hosts' tropical habitat may have increased the rate of development and the virulence of M. balantiocheili.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2
ISSN:	0177-5103 1616-1580
DOI:	10.3354/dao059135