Prevalence of six amoeba species colonising the gills of farmed Atlantic salmon with amoebic gill disease (AGD) using qPCR

Abstract

Gill health is fundamental to the success of finfish aquaculture. These delicate organs are responsible for gas exchange, acid -base balance, waste excretion and osmoregulation, yet are constantly exposed to a variety of microorganisms and environmental insults which can result in various gill diseases While the aetiologies of many disease pathologies are attributed to single pathological agents, the drivers of gill disease can be more complex A multifactorial approach to disease occurrence that considers the impact of environmental factors and microbial community structure, rather than focusing on a single agent, may therefore be a ra -