by David A. Strand, Jannicke Wiik-Nielsen, Saima Mohammad, Hanne Nilsen, Bjarte Langhelle, Matilde Holmeset, Sonal Patel, Hanne Log Persson, Duncan Colquhoun There has been a drastic increase of pasteurellosis cases in Atlantic salmon aquaculture in Norway since 2018, caused by the bacterium Phocoenobacter atlanticus subsp.
atlanticus , resulting in reduced animal welfare and increased mortalities. Early detection and identification of pathogens are crucial in intensive aquaculture to enable implementation of effective management and mitigation strategies.
The increased application of environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring in aquatic environments demonstrates the potential use for early detection of pathogens in aquaculture. In this study we investigated the usage of eDNA monitoring of Ph.
atlanticus in Atlantic salmon aquaculture. We conducted a trial to investigate the effect of storage conditions and transport time on eDNA detection of Ph.
atlanticus from water samples. We then conducted three field trials: a) to investigate the optimal sampling location for eDNA samples from farms with known Ph.
atlanticus infection status, b) to screen farms presumed non-infected with Ph.
PLOS ONE (Medicine) published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 27 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Environmental DNA screening of Phocoenobacter atlanticus subsp.
atlanticus in Atlantic salmon aquaculture.
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