Fish Diseases and Management

5.1.8.1 Renibacterium salmoninarum

Renibacterium salmoninarum causes bacterial kidney diseases (BKD). This is also called as dee disease, corynebacterial kidney disease, salmonid kidney disease. The disease is found to occur in 13 species of salmonids in North America, South America and European countries, mainly occuring in the farmed fishes.

External signs of this disease include exophthalmia, swollen abdomen due to ascitic fluid, blood-filled blisters on the flank, and the presence of ulcers/ abscesses. Initially lesions may develop in the kidney, liver, heart and spleen. The lesions contain a fluidy mass of leucocytes, bacteria and cellular debris.