Application of an aqueous acid-fast staining technique to detect pathogens of aquatic species.
Many bacterial and protozoan pathogens in fish and shellfish exhibit acid-fast staining characteristics that are important for pathogen identification and disease diagnosis. The classic acid-fast staining techniques for light microscopy use carbol-fuchsin; a major ingredient of this stain is caustic and hazardous phenol. A new technique using heated aqueous basic fuchsin can stain two acid-fast human pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. avium. This method is a potentially valuable and safer diagnostic tool for aquatic pathologists. M. marinum, a finfish pathogen, and various additional acid-fast parasitic pathogens of finfish and marine invertebrates were stained successfully using this heated aqueous basic fuchsin method.
McCollough
C B
CB
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Service, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, Oxford 21654, MD, USA. cmccollough@dnr.state.md.us
D000818:Animals; D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D003445:Crustacea / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005399:Fishes / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D041602:Haplosporida / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D016814:Microsporidia / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008974:Mollusca / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D055766:Myxobolus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D019800:Phenol; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D019800:Phenol; C006898:carbol-fuchsin solution