Flavobacterium indologenes infection in leopard frogs
Olson, M.E.; Gard, S.; Brown, M.; Hampton, R.; Morck, D.W.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 201(11): 1766-1770
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-1488 PMID: 1293124 Document Number: 394408
An investigation of an epidemic of infectious disease in a frog (Rana pipiens) colony was conducted. Six of 40 frogs in a continuous (once through) water flow housing system had weight loss, swollen abdomen, corneal edema, uveitis, subcutaneous edema, petechial hemorrhage, incoordination, and respiratory distress. The frogs had lesions consistent with bacterial septicemia. A gram-negative, nonfermenting bacillus, Flavobacterium indologenes (Flavobacterium sp. biovar IIb), were isolated in pure culture from tissues and blood. The clinical isolate was used to inoculate healthy frogs SC. An isolate identical to the one isolated from the sick frogs were recovered from tissues and blood of the inoculated frogs. Inoculatin of the housing water in a nonflow-through system did not result in disease, despite proliferating of the Flavobacterium spp in the water; therefore, it is likely that establishment of infection requires the presence of the organism in sufficient numbers and a portal of entry into the body.