Chlamydia is a common bacterial infection in people that can affect their lungs and reproductive systems. But did you know that salmon and other fish can also get chlamydia? Fish get the same disease from Chlamydia salmonicida. To help keep populations healthy, it’s important to know how salmon get this infection and pass it on.
How Salmon Get Infected With Chlamydia
Chlamydia bacteria occur naturally in water environments. Salmon and other fish become infected through contact with contaminated water or infected fish. In salmon the bacteria invade the gills and then spread into internal organs.
Infected salmon shed the bacteria in their feces, urine, reproductive fluids, and through skin mucus. This releases chlamydia into the surrounding water, where it can survive for over a month. As a result, outbreaks rapidly spread through fish confined in pools, hatcheries, and farms. Wild salmon swimming through contaminated waters can also pick up the infection.
In addition to waterborne transmission chlamydia spreads through
- Salmon eggs from infected parents
- Shared equipment or transportation containers
- Handleing by contaminated gloves and nets
Once infected, salmon carry chlamydia for life, periodically shedding bacteria even if they recover from symptoms.
Symptoms of Chlamydia in Salmon
In the initial acute stage, infected salmon may exhibit:
- Bulging eyes
- Dark skin discoloration
- Lethargic behavior
- Loss of appetite
The gills and abdomen often hemorrhage in this phase, appearing red and inflamed.
The infection then enters a chronic carrier state. Though salmon appear healthy, they continue shedding bacteria.
When stressed, carriers develop symptoms again:
- Emaciation
- Popeye
- Hemorrhagic septicemia
- Abdominal swelling
- Inflamed vents and fins
Impacts on Infected Salmon
Chlamydia mostly affects salmon reproduction by making them unable to have babies, not having enough gametes, and eggs and fry dying more quickly. In mature salmon, the bacteria damage ovaries and testes. In juveniles, infection impairs proper development of reproductive organs.
While infected adults can still migrate and spawn, very few offspring survive. Entire year classes can be wiped out in hatcheries. This severely decreases salmon populations over time.
The infection also creates open sores that leave salmon vulnerable to secondary fungal and bacterial diseases. Severe chlamydia outbreaks often kill large proportions of confined fish.
Wild salmon with chlamydia experience reduced fitness and survival from the array of symptoms. They’re less able to swim long distances, escape predators, and reproduce successfully.
Preventing Chlamydia in Salmon Populations
To protect valuable salmon species, fisheries and hatcheries aim to prevent chlamydia outbreaks using:
- Disinfecting eggs from carrier parents with iodine or antibiotics
- Monitoring water quality and filtration
- Quarantining and testing incoming fish
- Disinfecting equipment like nets, boots, tanks
- Proper handling and transport techniques
- Vaccines in some hatchery fish
Culling infected fish also limits transmission. Treatment options for chlamydia remain limited and may weaken populations. So prevention is crucial.
Sustainable fishing and habitat conservation allows wild salmon access to larger, cleaner environments. This decreases contact with bacteria and prevalence of outbreaks.
Salmon Chlamydia Risk to Humans
While humans contract chlamydia from each other, we don’t share the same strains that infect fish and vice versa. Consuming infected salmon meat poses no risk because chlamydia bacteria get killed during cooking.
However, raw handling of whole salmon or processing infected fish does present a potential occupational exposure. The bacteria could enter open wounds or transfer to eyes. Using protective gear minimizes this risk when working with salmon.
Overall, chlamydia remains a significant concern in efforts to preserve salmon. Understanding how this stealthy infection spreads enables fisheries and conservation programs to protect our valuable salmon resources.
Frequency of Entities:
salmon: 28
chlamydia: 27
fish: 7
bacteria: 10
infected: 10
infection: 8
populations: 3
reproduction: 3
hatcheries: 3
humans: 3
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- 1 The University of Tasmania’s National Center for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability can be reached at Locked Bag 1370, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia. Electronic address: mcstride@amc. edu. au.
- 2. Queensland University of Technology’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation is located at 60 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia. The University of the Sunshine Coast’s Faculty of Science, Health, Education, and Engineering is located at 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia.
- 3 The University of Tasmania’s National Center for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability can be reached at Locked Bag 1370, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia.
- 1 The University of Tasmania’s National Center for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability can be reached at Locked Bag 1370, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia. Electronic address: mcstride@amc. edu. au.
- 2. Queensland University of Technology’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation is located at 60 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia. The University of the Sunshine Coast’s Faculty of Science, Health, Education, and Engineering is located at 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia.
- 3 The University of Tasmania’s National Center for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability can be reached at Locked Bag 1370, Launceston, Tasmania 7250, Australia.
- Vet Microbiol. 2014 Jun 25;171(1-2):257
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STDs: Chlamydia
FAQ
Can fish carry chlamydia?
Is salmon linked to chlamydia?
What bacteria is common on salmon?
Can you get chlamydia from salmon?
Like other infectious organisms of fish such as salmon, it cannot infect humans. So to reassure concerned readers of a certain tabloid newspaper (which has since amended its grossly misleading headline), no matter what their interaction with Scottish salmon, they will not catch chlamydia.
What can happen if Chlamydia goes untreated?
Chlamydia is an STI caused by a specific strain of bacteria known as Chlamydia trachomatis. It is transmitted through vaginal discharge or semen. Signs of chlamydia/pain or burning while peeing/pain during sex/lower belly pain /abnormal vaginal discharge. It can cause permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive system. This can make it difficult or impossible to get pregnant later. Chlamydia can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy/infection/infertility and pregnancy complications and chronic pain.
Can fish catch Chlamydia?
Like other infectious organisms of fish such as salmon, it cannot infect humans. So to reassure concerned readers of a certain tabloid newspaper (which has since amended its grossly misleading headline), no matter what their interaction with Scottish salmon, they will not catch chlamydia. Can fish get chlamydia?
What is chlamydial infection in fish?
Chlamydial infections of fish are emerging as an important cause of disease in new and established aquaculture industries. To date, epitheliocystis, a skin and gill disease associated with infection by these obligate intracellular pathogens, has been described in over 90 fish species, including hosts from marine and fresh water environments.