Characteristics of $\beta$-Streptococcus spp. Isolated in Cultured Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) of Jeju Island

제주산 양식넙치 (Paralichthys olivaceus)로부터 분리된 $\beta$-용혈성 연쇄구균 ($\beta$-Streptococcsus spp.)의 특성

Streptococcus spp. of bacterial pathogen of fish were isolated from the cultured flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) in fish farm of Jeju Island. Clinical signs of the infected flounder which are the most commons symptoms are as follows: erratic swimming, darkening of the body colour, unilateral or bilateral exophthalmia, corneal opacity, hemorrhages in the opercular and the bases of the fins, and the ulceration of the body surface. Biochemical characteristics of pathogenic fish Streptococcus spp, were gram positive, spherical form, catalase negative, oxidase negative and $\beta$-haemolytic, respectively, The viable cells counted from the tissue of the diseased flounder were the largest in the order of the ulcer, the kidney, the blood and the brain, The drugs used were ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, gentamycin, tetracycline, erythromycin, streptomycin and oxytetracycline, Streptococcus spp. were found to be sensitive to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and gentamycin, but were resistant to tetracycline, erythromycin, streptomycin and oxytetracycline. The pathogenicity of Streptococcus spp. on the cultured flounder with an abdominal cavity injection was high. The haemolytic activity of the toxin against the sheep red blood cells reached the maximum after 30 min incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ or $50^{\circ}C$. The toxin showed highest activity at pH $5.5\sim6.5$.

2000년도 2회에 걸쳐 제주도 일원 넙치 양식장을 대상으로 감염어에서 분리된 연쇄구균에 대한 특성시험 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 감염어로부터 분리된 연쇄구균은 형태적으로 연쇄상의 gram 양성의 구균이었고, catalase와 oxidase에 음성이었으며, 용혈성 시험에서는 $\beta$-용혈성을 나타내었다. 감염어에서 각 장기별 생균수에서는 환부, 신장, 혈액 그리고 뇌순으로 연쇄구균이 검출되었다. 약제 감수성에서는 ampicillin, ciprofloxicin 둥에 감수성이 있었지만 erythromycin 등에는 감수성이 없었다. 복강에 주사하여 병원성 시험을 한 결과 10일 이내에 전량 폐사하는 강한 병원성을 보였다. 감염균의 용혈성에 대한 특성은 $50^{\circ}C$ 30분의 배양에서 용혈활성이 마르게 증가되어 최대값에 도달되었고 또한 $pH 5.5\~6.5$에서 높은 활성값을 보였다.