First report of tetracycline-resistant Aeromonas veronii infection in Amur catfish (Silurus asotus) cultured in Korea

Abstract

Mass mortality in commercially cultured Amur catfish (Silurus asotus), showing symptoms of dermal ulcerations, occurred on a private farm in Mar 2019 in Korea. β-hemolytic bacteria were isolated from the ulcers and kidneys of the fish and identified as Aeromonas veronii. The isolate was resistant to tetracycline and possessed cytotoxic heat-labile enterotoxin (aerolysin/ hemolysin). We investigated the genetic determinants associated with tetracycline resistance, and the isolate has been confirmed to simultaneously possess tetA and tetE genes. This is the first report on the occurrence of tetracycline-resistant A. veronii infection related to mass mortality in commercially cultured Amur catfish in Korea.