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Pathogens
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Infectious Diseases in Aquatic Animals
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Infectious Diseases in Aquatic Animals

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2026) | Viewed by 8944

Editor

Dr. Roberto Bermúdez Pose

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Interests: fish and shellfish immunology; spleen and kidney necrosis virus

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infectious diseases in aquatic animals present a significant threat to both wild and farmed species, impacting biodiversity, ecosystem health, and aquaculture productivity. These infections can be caused by a variety of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, each with unique modes of transmission and pathogenesis. Understanding the dynamics of these diseases is crucial for developing effective prevention and control strategies to safeguard aquatic animal health and, by extension, the health of human populations reliant on these resources.

This Special Issue of Pathogens seeks to gather cutting-edge research and reviews that enhance our understanding of infectious diseases in aquatic animals. We are particularly interested in studies that elucidate the mechanisms of pathogen infection, host immune responses, and environmental factors influencing disease outbreaks. Additionally, we welcome contributions that explore novel diagnostic methods, novel animal models, therapeutic approaches, and biosecurity measures aimed at mitigating the impact of these diseases. We invite researchers to submit original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and insightful case reports that address these topics. By compiling this knowledge, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of aquatic animal diseases and promote the development of innovative solutions to combat these threats.

Dr. Roberto Bermúdez Pose
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • infectious diseases
  • aquatic animals
  • pathogens
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • immune response

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 10770 KB  
Article
Infection Dynamics and Host Responses to Two IPNV Isolates in Liver of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)
by Valeria Aguilar Quiñones, Fabian Grammes, Victor Boyartchuk and Jacob Seilø Torgersen
Pathogens 2025, 14(12), 1245; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14121245 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1383
Abstract
The infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) used to be one of the largest loss factors in Atlantic salmon farming. Since 2009, marker-assisted selection for resistance to IPN, targeting a single major quantitative trait locus (QTL), has led to a ten-fold decrease in the [...] Read more.
The infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) used to be one of the largest loss factors in Atlantic salmon farming. Since 2009, marker-assisted selection for resistance to IPN, targeting a single major quantitative trait locus (QTL), has led to a ten-fold decrease in the number of IPN outbreaks in Norway. However, some IPN-related problems remain, due to isolates of the virus which seem to bypass the resistance mechanism of the QTL. We comparatively characterized a classical isolate affected by the IPN-QTL (cIPNV) and an isolate that circumvents the QTL-based protection (rIPNV). Using both in vivo and in vitro challenges, the viral infection dynamics and host responses were evaluated by RT-qPCR and by gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis from the RNA sequencing data of infected hepatocytes and the whole liver. Overall, cIPNV showed rapid replication with pronounced lytic cytopathology and enrichment for DNA damage, apoptosis and cell cycle disruption GO terms, while rIPNV exhibited slower accumulation of viral RNA and a transcriptional footprint consistent with pro-survival states in hepatocytes. While further research is needed to resolve the causality of QTL evasion, this work provides a first characterization of the pathogenicity of emerging QTL-insensitive IPNV isolates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Aquatic Animals)
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13 pages, 1926 KB  
Article
Iodobacter fluviatilis, a New Potential Opportunistic Pathogen Associated with Skin Lesions, First Report in Hypophthalmichthys nobilis in China
by Kai Chen, Nannan Shen, Ting Qin, Liushen Lu, Dongpo Xu, Bingwen Xi and Jun Xie
Pathogens 2025, 14(10), 978; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14100978 - 26 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1122
Abstract
In the spring of 2023, a disease outbreak occurred in Lake Taihu in China, which caused a large number of deaths of H. nobilis. In order to investigate the cause of morbidity and mortality of the H. nobilis, the diseased fish [...] Read more.
In the spring of 2023, a disease outbreak occurred in Lake Taihu in China, which caused a large number of deaths of H. nobilis. In order to investigate the cause of morbidity and mortality of the H. nobilis, the diseased fish were collected for histopathological and etiological studies. Histopathological observation revealed that substantial inflammatory cell infiltration was observed around skin lesion in diseased fish, extensive degeneration and necrosis were observed in the hepatic parenchymal cells, the spleen exhibited congestion, and the kidney showed congestion. A bacterial strain, C1, isolated from diseased H. nobilis was identified as Iodobacter fluviatilis through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and biochemical phenotypic characterization. Experimental infection of the fish via intramuscular injection induced a localized abscess in a subset of fish. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that the isolate was susceptible to aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, quinolones and amphenicols, but resistant to sulfonamides commonly used in aquaculture. Here, we describe an association between I. fluviatilis and skin lesions in H. nobilis. Furthermore, we report the biochemical characteristics and drug resistance profile of the isolated bacteria. These findings also facilitate further investigations into the role of I. fluviatilis associated with skin diseases of H. nobilis and other freshwater fish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Aquatic Animals)
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Review

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69 pages, 11672 KB  
Review
Review of Major and Minor Pathogens of Adult Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in Freshwater in the Pacific Northwest of North America
by Tamsen M. Polley, Jayde A. Ferguson, Nora Hickey, Simon R. M. Jones, Anindo Choudhury, John S. Foott and Michael L. Kent
Pathogens 2026, 15(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15010087 - 13 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1705
Abstract
This comprehensive review examines pathogens affecting adult anadromous Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) during their terminal freshwater migration and spawning across populations from California through Alaska, including Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. We systematically reviewed selected pathogens based on their significance to adult [...] Read more.
This comprehensive review examines pathogens affecting adult anadromous Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) during their terminal freshwater migration and spawning across populations from California through Alaska, including Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. We systematically reviewed selected pathogens based on their significance to adult salmon health or role in epizootiology, categorizing them by their impact on prespawn mortality (PSM), disease severity, and maternal or ‘egg-associated’ transmission risks to progeny. Our analysis encompasses macroparasites, microparasites, bacteria, and viruses affecting anadromous Pink (O. gorbuscha), Chum (O. keta), Coho (O. kisutch), Sockeye (O. nerka), and Chinook Salmon (O. tshawytscha) and Steelhead Trout (O. mykiss), integrating extensive literature analysis with direct field observations and case studies from representative geographic regions. Understanding pathogen impacts during the spawning life stage is crucial for salmon population sustainability, as the unique semelparous nature of Pacific salmon makes this terminal phase critical for reproductive success and the continuation of these ecologically, economically, and culturally vital species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Aquatic Animals)
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20 pages, 1324 KB  
Review
Mycobacterium marinum Immune Evasion in Zebrafish
by Priyank Kumar, Joshua Cameron, Beatrice Saviola and Vishwanath Venketaraman
Pathogens 2025, 14(9), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14090908 - 10 Sep 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3499
Abstract
Fish mycobacteriosis, a chronic progressive disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), affects marine, brackish, and freshwater fish. Mycobacterium marinum (M. marinum), the most important of the NTM, infects fresh and marine water fish causing necrotizing granulomas and associated morbidity and mortality. [...] Read more.
Fish mycobacteriosis, a chronic progressive disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), affects marine, brackish, and freshwater fish. Mycobacterium marinum (M. marinum), the most important of the NTM, infects fresh and marine water fish causing necrotizing granulomas and associated morbidity and mortality. M. marinum causes disease in zebrafish in a dose-dependent fashion. The M. marinum-induced disease in the zebrafish is associated with the development of necrotizing granulomas with abundant bacteria in the necrotic areas. Acute infection with high infectious doses of M. marinum infection in zebrafish was characterized by uncontrolled replication of the pathogen and death of all fish within 16 days, while chronic infections were marked by the formation of granulomas in different organs and longer survival in the range of 4–8 weeks. This review therefore synthesizes recent advances in our understanding of M. marinum’s infection of zebrafish, molecular pathogenesis, virulence mechanisms, and immune evasion strategies in zebrafish, while also highlighting the host immune effector responses and the virulence mechanisms of M. marinum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Aquatic Animals)
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