AVC Lobster Science Centre June 6, 2008 Journal of Aquatic Animal Health JAAH 17:345-352 (2005)
Case Report: Outbreak of Bumper Car Disease Caused by Anophryoides haemophila in a Lobster Holding Facility in Nova Scotia, Canada
Spencer J. Greenwood1,*, Béatrice M. Després2, Richard J. Cawthorn1, Jean Lavallée2, David B. Groman3, Adrian Desbarats4
*E-mail: sgreenwood@upei.ca
1 AVC Lobster Science Centre & Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4P3, Canada
2 AVC Lobster Science Centre, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4P3, Canada
3 Aquatic Diagnostic Services & Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4P3, Canada
4 Aquatic Solutions, Post Office Box 372, Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia B0W 1G0, Canada
Abstract
This case report provides pathologic and confirmatory molecular characterization of an outbreak of bumper car disease caused by the scuticociliate Anophryoides haemophila in American lobster Homarus americanus, from a commercial holding facility in Nova Scotia, Canada. Although sporadically and anecdotally reported to be present in Atlantic Canada, this is the first report detailing observations from a natural outbreak of bumper car disease by gross and microscopic pathology and its positive identification by small subunit rRNA gene sequencing. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis confirmed that the genotype of the present outbreak isolate is identical to the original isolate of A. haemophila reported from Maine lobsters in 1993.
Keywords
Lobster · Homarus americanus · Disease · Anophryoides haemophila · Aerococcus viridans · Gaffkemia · 'Bumper car' disease
