Bacterias aisladas de las branquias del ostión japonés Crassostrea gigas, cultivado en Bahía Falsa, Baja California, México

Abstract

SINCE THE LATE 70S, THE JAPANESE OYSTER, CRASSOSTREA GIGAS, HAS BEEN CULTURED IN BAHÍA FALSA, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO. NOWADAYS, THERE ARE 21 CULTURE COMPANIES INVOLVED IN THIS ACTIVITY. IN 1998, UNUSUAL MORTALITY EPISODES OF OYSTERS BEGAN TO OCCUR, REACHING UP TO 80% OF THE PRODUCTION. THESE MORTALITY  EPISODES HAVE BEEN RECURRED UP TO DATE AND, THE HYPOTHESIS OF A POSSIBLE PATHOGEN INVOLVED, SUCH AS A VIRUS, BACTERIA OR BOTH, REMAINS OPEN. THIS WORK SHOWS THE RESULTS OF A STUDY ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ISOLATED BACTERIA FROM GILL TISSUE OF OYSTERS RECOLLECTED DURING A MORTALITY EPISODE IN 2001. THREE COLONIES WERE ISOLATED, TWO OF THEM GREW IN TCBS SELECTIVE MEDIUM, FORMING YELLOW COLONIES, WHICH WERE IDENTIFIED AS BELONGING TO THE GENUS AEROMONAS. THE THIRD COLONY COULD NOT BE CULTURED OR IDENTIFIED. THERE ARE NOT RECORDS ON THE PATHOGENICITY OF AEROMONAS SPP. IN MOLLUSKS; HOWEVER, THEY HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS PATHOGENIC FOR FISHES AND REPTILES. IDENTIFICATION OF THE NOT CULTURED BACTERIA MUST BE CARRY OUT BY MOLECULAR METHODS.