Mycobacterium salmoniphilum infection in a farmed Russian sturgeon, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii (Brandt & Ratzeburg)

Fish mycobacteriosis is a chronic disease caused by Mycobacterium spp infection. This pathology has the potential to affect a variety of wild and captive fish causing economical loses. To date, there are no reliable treatments and stamping out procedure followed by fish tank disinfection is often the only effective solution. From a specimens sent to the Fish Diseases Laboratory of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Turin we got the opportunity to document the first mycobacteriosis in a Russian sturgeon and the first Mycobacterium abscessus infection in Acipenseridae in general. Therefore, we underline the importance of surveillance and monitoring measures to prevent the appearance of this disease in sturgeon aquaculture.