{"id":8537,"date":"2026-08-04T11:36:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T11:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=8537"},"modified":"2026-08-04T11:36:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T11:36:06","slug":"scientists-discover-four-dangerous-fish-bacteria-in-brazil-for-the-first-time-one-has-jumped-to-a-new-host-species","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=8537","title":{"rendered":"Scientists discover four dangerous fish bacteria in Brazil for the first time; one has jumped to a new host species"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-132856374,imgsize-153770,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/132856374.jpg\" alt=\"Scientists discover four dangerous fish bacteria in Brazil for the first time; one has jumped to a new host species\" title=\"For the first time, Brazil faces a significant challenge as bacteria previously exclusive to Asia and the USA have been identified within its borders. These bacteria, known to cause columnaris disease, pose an acute risk to the thriving aquaculture sector. Researchers have isolated four species from the Flavobacterium genus, which can infect both Nile tilapia and indigenous fish species.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"For the first time, Brazil faces a significant challenge as bacteria previously exclusive to Asia and the USA have been identified within its borders. These bacteria, known to cause columnaris disease, pose an acute risk to the thriving aquaculture sector. Researchers have isolated four species from the Flavobacterium genus, which can infect both Nile tilapia and indigenous fish species.\">For the first time, Brazil faces a significant challenge as bacteria previously exclusive to Asia and the USA have been identified within its borders. These bacteria, known to cause columnaris disease, pose an acute risk to the thriving aquaculture sector. Researchers have isolated four species from the Flavobacterium genus, which can infect both Nile tilapia and indigenous fish species.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Bacteria previously found only in Asia and the USA have been discovered for the first time ever in Brazil among the farmed fish and the finding poses a huge threat to the country&#8217;s booming aquaculture industry.<!-- --> Researchers found four species of the genus Flavobacterium in 11 bacterial isolates. These are known to cause columnaris disease, a serious disease in fish intended for human consumption.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/>Six isolates were F. oreochromis, while the collection also included F. davisii, F. indicum and F. inkyongense. This disease primarily affects farms raising Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), also known commercially as Saint Peter, a species of African origin. <!-- -->However, it also affects farms raising native Brazilian species, such as tambaqui, pacu, and Amazon spotted catfish. The study published in Microbial Pathogenesis showed that some isolates grow and form biofilms at temperatures common in warm-water farming systems.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>The findings<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>The team combined molecular identification with tests of bacterial growth, movement and biofilm production. Of the 11 isolates, six were identified as F. oreochromis. The remaining collection included F. davisii, F. indicum and F. inkyongense, giving the researchers a small but taxonomically varied sample of flavobacteria associated with Brazilian aquaculture.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>Until recently, the four species of Flavobacterium that were identified were considered a single species: Flavobacterium columnare. This is where the name of the disease comes from. It causes whitish lesions on the skin and fins, as well as necrosis in the gills of fish. <!-- -->\u201cThe bacteria feed on epithelial cells and kill the fish within a few days, especially larvae and fry,\u201d explained Fabiana Pilarski, a professor at CAUNESP who supervised the doctoral research.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>Until now, Flavobacterium Oreochromis species was known to infect only tilapia, the most widely farmed fish in Brazil and worldwide. Now, the pathogen has been detected in samples of native fish as well. Moreover, this is the first time that Flavobacterium davisii has been detected in an Amazon spotted catfish. <!-- -->\u201cThis case shows that the bacterium can also infect Siluriformes, a different order of fish from those it usually colonises, which broadens the range of potential hosts for this pathogen,\u201d said Daniel de Abreu Reis Ferreira, the first author of the study.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Biofilm productions<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Biofilm productions&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\" msid=\"132856633\" width=\"\" title=\"While nearly all the analysed species showed a significant decrease in biofilm formation at 35 \u00b0C, F. davisii exhibited significant biofilm production at this temperature.\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-132856633\/biofilm-productionsbrbr.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>While nearly all the analysed species showed a significant decrease in biofilm formation at 35 \u00b0C, F. davisii exhibited significant biofilm production at this temperature.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>A biofilm is a protective matrix that allows bacteria to remain dormant when conditions are unfavourable and resume multiplication when the environment becomes conducive. <!-- -->\u201cThis underscores the importance of robust hygiene and disinfection protocols to prevent the colonisation of equipment used for fish handling,\u201d Ferreira added.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>While nearly all the analysed species showed a significant decrease in biofilm formation at 35 \u00b0C, F. davisii exhibited significant biofilm production at this temperature. However, the researchers observed that the bacterium\u2019s mobility was impaired at this temperature. <!-- -->\u201cThis suggests an adaptation \u2013 what we call a metabolic trade-off, in which it loses by moving less but gains by producing biofilm and surviving,\u201d Ferreira explained.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Vaccination and salinity<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"36\"\/>Studies by other research groups show that Flavobacterium bacteria do not tolerate salinity well. Therefore, adding salt to the water could reduce the pathogen\u2019s ability to colonise. However, more research is needed to determine the optimal salinity levels for each species of fish.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>Researchers are conducting genomic studies on the bacteria they have found to identify potential vaccine targets. The goal is to develop autogenous vaccines, which are tailored to the strains present at each production site.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/>\u201cSince columnaris disease primarily affects the skin, a vaccine in the form of a bath treatment using the weakened bacterium would be ideal, benefiting young fish in particular. This is a stage when the immune system is still developing, and because they\u2019re small, large numbers of fingerlings could be vaccinated simultaneously,\u201d said Fabiana Pilarski, a professor at CAUNESP who supervised Ferreira\u2019s doctoral research.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/science\/scientists-discover-four-dangerous-fish-bacteria-in-brazil-for-the-first-time-one-has-jumped-to-a-new-host-species\/articleshow\/132856374.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the first time, Brazil faces a significant challenge as bacteria previously exclusive to Asia and the USA have been identified within its borders. These bacteria, known to cause columnaris disease, pose an acute risk to the thriving aquaculture sector. Researchers have isolated four species from the Flavobacterium genus, which can infect both Nile tilapia [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"For the first time, Brazil faces a significant challenge as bacteria previously exclusive to Asia and the USA have been identified within its borders. These bacteria, known to cause columnaris disease, pose an acute risk to the thriving aquaculture sector. Researchers have isolated four species from the Flavobacterium genus, which can infect both Nile tilapia [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":4,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/132856374.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}