Evaluation of an indirect fluorescent antibody technique for detection of Aerococcus vindans (var.) homari, pathogen of homarid lobsters

Abstract

Application of an indirect fluorescent antibody technique (IFAT) significantly shortened the time required for detection and identification of the lobster pathogen Aerococcus viridans (var.) homan, from culture media or directly from lobster hemolymph. The normal 4 to 7 d for confirmed diagnoses using traditional bacteriological procedures was reduced to 2 h for detection of heavy infections, or 48 to 50 h when amplification of numbers was required. Of the bacteria checked, only Staphylococcus aureus cross-reacted; this was overcome by treatment of fixed slides with papain prior to IFA staining. The validity of the method was confirmed in comparisons between the traditional procedures and IFAT using samples from 1090 lobsters which had shown presumptive signs of infection.