Pathogenicity of Aeromonas hydrophila, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis to Brown Tree Frogs (Litoria ewingii)

摘要

Bacterialdermatosepticemia,asystemicinfectiousbacterialdiseaseoffrogs,canbecausedbyseveralopportunisticgram-negativebacterialspeciesincludingAeromonashydrophila,Chryseobacteriumindologenes,Chryseobacteriummeningosepticum,Citrobacterfreundii,Klebsiellapneumoniae,Proteusmirabilis,Pseudomonasaeruginosa,andSerratialiquifaciens.Herewedeterminedthepathogenicityof3bacterialspecies(Aeromonashydrophila,Klebsiellapneumoniae,andProteusmirabilis)associatedwithanoutbreakoffataldermatosepticemiainNewZealandLitoriaewingiifrogs.Abathchallengemethodwasusedtoexposetestfrogstoindividualbacterialspecies(2×10supxmlns="http://pub2web.metastore.ingenta.coms/"7/supcfu/mLinpondwater);controlfrogswereexposedtouninfectedpondwater.NoneofthecontrolfrogsorthoseexposedtoA.hydrophilaorP.mirabilisshowedanymorbidityormortality.Morbidityandmortalitywas40%amongfrogsexposedtoK.pneumonia,andtheorganismwasreisolatedfromthehearts,spleens,andliversofaffectedanimals.