Lancefield group C Streptococcus dysgalactiae infection responsible for fish mortalities in Japan

A Lancefield serological group C Streptococcus sp. was isolated from cultured amberjack, Seriola dumerili Risso, and yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiata Temminck and Schlegel, immunized with Lactococcus garvieae commercial vaccines in Japan. The isolated bacteria were Gram‐positive cocci, auto‐aggregating in saline, morphologically long chains in growth medium, catalase negative and α‐haemolytic on blood agar. An almost complete gene sequence of the 16S rDNA of two isolates was determined and compared with that of bacterial strains in the database. The isolates were identified as Streptococcus dysgalactiae based on the results of the 16S rDNA sequence, the bacteriological properties and the Lancefield serological grouping. Oligonucleotide primers specifically designed for the 16S–23S rDNA intergenic spacer region of S. dysgalactiae amplified a gene from all the fish isolates, as well as the type strains α‐haemolytic S. dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae ATCC430738 and β‐haemolytic S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis ATCC35666, but not those of S. equi ATCC33398, Lactococcus garvieae ATCC43921 and L. garvieae KG9408. The severe necrotic lesions of the caudal peduncle seen in experimentally infected fish were similar to those seen in naturally infected fish.