title: Response of American lobsters Homarus americanus to infection with a field isolate of Aerococcus viridans var. homari (Gaffkemia): survival and haematology.
abstract: American lobsters Homarus americanus were inoculated with a field isolate of the Gram-positive bacterium Aerococcus viridans var. homari, causative agent of gaffkemia, at 1 x 10(6), 1 x 10(4) or 1 x 10(2) colony forming units (CFU) kg(-1) or with sterile 3% NaCl and maintained at 10 or 15 degrees C until they died or were euthanised. Progression of disease in individual animals was monitored daily by total haemocyte count (THC) and haemolymph culture. Post-mortem examinations were performed on all lobsters. Effects of both ambient temperature and infective dose on survival time were observed. Marked bacteraemia occurred in all mortalities. Haemocytopenia (THC < 10 x 10(9) cells l(-1)) preceded death in most, but not all, mortalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4P3, Canada. abattison@upei.ca
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Battison
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cawthorn
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Horney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000382:microbiology; D006652:Histological Techniques; D008121:Nephropidae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D013289:Streptococcaceae; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors