Multidrug-Resistant Strain of Listeria monocytogenes Infection in the African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus L.): Biological Infection, Clinical Lesions, and Tissue Architecture Alteration

Et Al., Habashy

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2025.448652

Multidrug-Resistant Strain of Listeria monocytogenes Infection in the African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus L.): Biological Infection, Clinical Lesions, and Tissue Architecture Alteration

Author

Habashy et al.

10.21608/ejabf.2025.448652

Abstract

One of the main challenges in aquaculture is bacterial infections, which cause substantial fish mortality worldwide. In this study, a multidrug-resistant strain of Listeria monocytogenes (PQ524490) was isolated from Clarias gariepinus collected from various fish markets in Egypt. For the in vivo experiment, C. gariepinus specimens were randomly divided into three equal groups, each with three replicates of 10 fish. The first group was intraperitoneally (I/P) injected with 0.1mL of L. monocytogenes PQ524490 at a concentration of 2.0 × 10^8 CFU/mL. The second group served as a negative control and was injected with 0.1mL of sterile saline. The third group served as an untreated control, receiving only an artificial diet without any injection. Infection with L. monocytogenes PQ524490 significantly impaired (P< 0.05) hepatorenal function, nonspecific immunity, and antioxidant activity compared with the control groups. Histological examination further confirmed these findings, revealing pronounced tissue damage in the liver, kidney, and spleen of the infected fish.

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