Cryptobia (Trypanoplasma) salmositica and salmonid cryptobiosis
Authors: Woo P T K 
Published: December 2003

Salmonid cryptobiosis is caused by Cryptobia (Trypanoplasma) salmositica. The haemoflagellate has been reported from all species of Pacific Oncorhynchus spp. on the west coast of North America. It is normally transmitted by the freshwater leech, Piscicola salmositica, in streams and rivers, and sculpins, Cottus spp., are considered important reservoir hosts. The pathogen can also survive on the body surface of fish because it has a contractile vacuole to osmoregulate when the fish is in fresh water. This allows for direct transmission between fish, especially in aquaculture facilities. The parasite divides rapidly by binary fission in the blood to cause disease, the severity of which is directly related to parasitaemia. Cryptobia salmositica has a mitochondrium and it normally undergoes aerobic respiration; however, if its mitochondrium is damaged it will switch to glycolysis. Its glycolytic enzymes and catalase are contained in glycosomes. Cysteine protease is a metabolic enzyme, and its neutralization inhibits oxygen consumption and multiplication of the parasite. An important virulent factor in cryptobiosis is a secretory metalloprotease. The protective mechanism involves production of complement fixing antibodies, phagocytosis by macrophages, and cell‐mediated cytotoxicity. Recovered fish are protected, probably for life as the immunity is non‐sterile. Clinical signs of the disease include anaemia, anorexia, splenomegaly, general oedema and abdominal distension with ascites. The metabolism and swimming performance of infected fish are significantly reduced and the bioenergetic cost of the disease is very considerable. Fish are susceptible to hypoxia and their immune system is depressed during acute cryptobiosis. Severity of the disease and mortality rates vary significantly between species and stocks of salmon. Protective strategies include selective breeding of Cryptobia‐resistant fish. This is innate resistance to infection and it is controlled by a dominant Mendelian locus. In these fish the parasite is lysed via the alternative pathway of complement activation. In Cryptobia‐tolerant fish (infected with the pathogen but which do not suffer from disease) the metalloprotease secreted by the parasite is neutralized by α2 macroglobulin. Hence, the production of a transgenic Cryptobia‐tolerant salmon is an option. This strategy has the advantage in that human intervention (e.g. vaccination, chemotherapy) is not required once the transgenic fish is produced. Acquired immunity is another option; a single dose of the attenuated live vaccine protects fish for at least 2 years. The protective mechanism in vaccinated fish is similar to that in recovered fish. The trypanocidal drug, isometamidium chloride, is an effective therapeutic and prophylactic agent. It accumulates in the mitochondrium of the parasite and significantly disrupts aerobic respiration by causing lesions in the organelle. Efficacy of the drug is significantly increased after its conjugation to antibodies. This immuno‐chemotherapeutic strategy has the advantage in that it will lower the drug dosage and hence side‐effects of chemotherapy. It will probably reduce the accumulation of the drug in fish, an important consideration in food fish.