Publications by authors named "Sara Pflaum"

is a microsporidian associated with gill disease in farmed Atlantic salmon (). Detection of the parasite in histologic tissue sections is challenging using common histochemical stains given that the small, widely distributed parasite spores typically occur individually or in small clusters. We compared the ability of 4 histologic methods to detect spores in serial sections of Atlantic salmon gill tissue: hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Gram-Twort (GT), calcofluor white (CW), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Using CW as a benchmark to calculate a relative ratio, IHC consistently detected more spores than CW (median: 1.3), followed by GT (median: 0.2) and H&E (median: 0.1). IHC detected significantly more spores than GT ( < 0.05) and H&E ( < 0.05), and GT more than H&E ( < 0.05). We found significant underestimation of numbers of microsporidia spores in gill disease in Atlantic salmon using conventional histochemical stains and recommend the use of CW or IHC to detect the parasite in tissue sections.

Samples from moribund lumpfish were collected in a marine hatchery in Scotland in 2015. Black nodules were noted on the skin, and gills and fungal hyphae were extensively distributed in musculature and internal organs. Multifocal chronic inflammatory lesions displaced structures in all affected organs. Mortalities commenced on completion of spawning in May and were evenly distributed over the second year in the temperature range 11-15°C. The main systemic infection causing agent was initially identified based on morphological characteristics as an Exophiala species. Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) ITS regions of the isolates were subsequently sequenced confirming the isolates belonged to Exophiala genus. All isolates fell in a single phylogenetic cluster, which is represented by Exophiala angulospora. Fish were treated with either formalin or Bronopol or a combination of both, but there was no effect on the pattern or numbers of mortalities. Isolates were also tested against three different concentrations of Latrunculin A, Amphotericin B and Itraconazole with no success. It is of utmost importance to increase the knowledge on pathogen-host interactions to successfully develop sustainable control methods.