Changes in selected haematological parameters in juvenile chinook salmon subjected to a bacterial challenge and a toxicant

An infection and a toxicant were presented singly and in combination to juvenile chinook salmon. The fish were challenged with Renibacterium salmoniarum and exposed to two levels (0.05 and 0.50 × 96 h LC50) of the toxicant sodium pentachlorophenate. The experiment comprised measurement of seven blood parameters and observations on mortality and behaviour at 4‐day intervals over a period of 40 days. All fish receiving the combined treatment of bacterial challenge and higher level of toxicant died 12 days post‐infection on the 8th day of toxicant exposure. Mortalities also occurred in the groups of diseased fish and fish receiving the toxicant alone. There were no mortalities in the appropriate control groups of unchallenged fish in clean water. Most of the haematological changes pointed to a general haemodilution probably arising from progressive damage to the kidney and haematopoietic tissue by bacteria but which did not appear to be greatly affected by combined exposure to the toxicant. The blood parameters of the fish in clean water as well as those exposed to just the toxicant remained relatively constant. Higher mortality and sustained lower values of haematocrit, haemoglobin and glucose concentrations as well as red blood cell counts were present in both the diseased group of fish held in clean water and the disease plus low level toxicant group compared to the control fish; white blood cell counts were low initially but increased markedly as the infection progressed. This latter treatment combination also produced lower total protein and blood urea nitrogen concentrations.