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© Kirchhoff et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

The blood fluke, Cardicola forsteri, is a prevalent infection in ranched southern bluefin tuna. This project aimed to define the timing and intensity of the various developmental stages of C. forsteri within southern bluefin tuna as well as to relate infection to host pathology and immune response. Archival samples from several cohorts of T. maccoyii sampled from 2008 to 2010 were used in this study. The prevalence and intensity of C. forsteri infection was described using heart flushes and histological examination. Humoral immune response, i.e. C. forsteri specific antibody, lysozyme activity, and alternative complement activity, was also described. Based on the validated and detailed C. forsteri infection timeline, relationships between infection events, physiological response, and diagnosis were proposed. Immune response developed concurrently with C. forsteri infection, with the majority of physiological response coinciding with commencing egg production. Further research is needed to confirm the origin of C. forsteri antigen which is responsible for immune response development and how T. maccoyii immune response works against infection. To aide this research, further diagnostic methods for confirmation of infection need to be developed.

Details

Title
Correlation of Humoral Immune Response in Southern Bluefin Tuna, T. maccoyii, with Infection Stage of the Blood Fluke, Cardicola forsteri
Author
Kirchhoff, Nicole T; Leef, Melanie J; Valdenegro, Victoria; Hayward, Craig J; Nowak, Barbara F
First page
e45742
Section
Research Article
Publication year
2012
Publication date
Sep 2012
Publisher
Public Library of Science
e-ISSN
19326203
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1326551579
Copyright
© Kirchhoff et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.