Biochemical identification of Lactobacillus piscicola strains from France and Belgium

Of 8 strains of Lactobacdus isolated in France and Belgium since 1977, 7 were found to display the general characteristics and fermentation pattern of L. piscicola. This recently described species was initially observed in the Pacific Northwest region of North America where it usually caused a chronic infection ('pseudo-kidney disease') in yearling or older trout and salmon. The present results show, however, that very young salmonids and carp may also be affected and confirm an earlier report that the organism also occurs in western Europe. The organism shows low virulence, and difficulty was experienced in demonstrating its pathogenicity. Nevertheless, L. piscicola appears to b e a genuine pathogen even though its significance to fish culture remains to be fully evaluated.