Detection and Assessment of the Distribution of Infectious Agents in Juvenile Fraser River Sockeye Salmon, Canada, in 2012 and 2013.

Omid Nekouei,Amy Tabata,Kristina M Miller,Terry D Beacham,Raphael Vanderstichel,Tobi Ming,Karia H Kaukinen,Krishna Thakur,Emilie Laurin,Strahan Tucker

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.03221

Abstract

Infectious diseases may contribute to declines in Fraser River Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) stocks, but a clear knowledge gap exists around which infectious agents and diseases are important. This study was conducted to: (1) determine the presence and prevalence of 46 infectious agents in juvenile Fraser River Sockeye salmon, and (2) evaluate spatial patterns in prevalence and burden over initial seaward migration, contrasting patterns between 2 years of average and poor productivity. In total, 2,006 out-migrating Sockeye salmon were collected from four regions along their migration trajectory in British Columbia, in 2012 and 2013. High-throughput microfluidics quantitative PCR was employed for simultaneous quantitation of 46 different infectious agents. Twenty-six agents were detected at least once, including nine with prevalence >5%. Candidatus Brachiomonas cysticola, Myxobolus arcticus, and Pacific salmon parvovirus were the most prevalent agents. Infectious agent diversity and burden increased consistently upon smolts entry into the ocean, but they did not substantially change afterwards. Notably, both freshwater- and saltwater-transmitted agents were more prevalent in 2013 than in 2012, leading to an overall higher infection burden in the first two sampling regions. A reduction in the prevalence of two agents, erythrocytic necrosis virus and Paraneuclospora theridion, was observed between regions 2 and 3, which was speculated to be associated with mortality during the 1st month at sea. The most prevalent infectious agents were all naturally occurring. In a small number of samples (0.9%), seven agents were only detected around and after salmon farming regions, including four important pathogens: piscine orthoreovirus, Piscirickettsia salmonis, Tenacibaculum maritimum, and Moritella viscosa. As the first synoptic survey of infectious agents in juvenile Sockeye salmon in British Columbia, this study provides the necessary baseline for further research on the most prevalent infectious agents and their potential pathogenicity, which may adversely affect the productivity of valuable Sockeye salmon stocks. In addition, our findings are informative to the decision makers involved in conservation programs.

Highlights

Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) have symbolic, cultural, recreational, and economic significance to the residents of the Pacific North, especially in Canada (Smith et al, 1987; Groot and Margolis, 1991)
More than half of the samples came from three major stocks: 35% originated from the Chilko stock, which, for management purposes, serves as the indicator stock for all Fraser River Sockeye salmon; and Lower Adams and Lower Shuswap had the second and third highest frequencies, with 9 and 7.6%, respectively
Our study clearly shows that the vast majority of infectious agents detected in juvenile salmon in the spring and summer were naturally occurring components of freshwater and marine ecosystems, with five of the nine most common agents emanating from freshwater, and the remaining detected upon entry into the ocean

Summary

Introduction

Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) have symbolic, cultural, recreational, and economic significance to the residents of the Pacific North, especially in Canada (Smith et al, 1987; Groot and Margolis, 1991). Sockeye is the third most abundant of the seven species of Pacific salmon, after Pink (O. gorbuscha) and Chum (O. keta) They often travel long distances in freshwater watersheds to reach diverse spawning habitats, to which they are highly adapted (Groot and Margolis, 1991). The Fraser River, located in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC), supports the largest abundance of Sockeye salmon in the world for a single river (Cohen, 2012) This river is 1,600 km long, with a vast watershed of 223,000 km (Groot and Margolis, 1991; Cohen, 2012). Sockeye smolts enter the Strait of Georgia over a 2-month period from late March to late May (Preikshot et al, 2012) and move northward through the Strait of Georgia over 5–6 weeks from mid-May to mid-July (Beamish et al, 2012; Thomson et al, 2012)

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