Isolation and molecular identification of Mycobacterium spp. isolates collected from aquarium fish in Urmia city, northwest of Iran

Fish mycobacteriosis is a zoonotic and chronic progressive disease that caused by different species of mycobacteria. The aims of this study were isolation and molecular identification of Mycobacterium spp from aquarium fish in Urmia city, northwest of Iran. ۳۰ apparently healthy ornamental fishes from different species were collected from five aquarium fish centers and were considered for the isolation and identification of Mycobacterium spp by bacterial culture, biochemical tests and PCR assay. ۴ (۱۳.۳%) samples contained mycobacteria where biochemical tests revealed that ۲ isolates were Mycobacterium marinum and ۲ isolates were identified as Mycobacterium fortuitum. All of four isolates were molecularly confirmed by PCR test. The results demonstrated the presence of Mycobacterium spp zoonotic bacterial pathogens in healthy Carassius auratus, Puntius conchonius, Poecilia latipinna and Astronatus ocellatus fish, and underlined the infection risk to humans of not only exposure to infected fish, but also when they manipulate clinically asymptomatic fish.

کلیدواژه ها:

aquarium fish ، Mycobacterium marinum ، Mycobacterium fortuitum ، PCR ، Urmia