Use of non-lethal procedures to detect and monitor Aeromonas salmonicida in potentially endangered or threatened populations of migrating and post-spawning salmon

Non-lethal assay of mucus was assessed for mittently shown to either infect or cause disease in detection of Aeromonas salmon~cida mong feral populations of salmon returning to the Salmon River (Altmar NY USA) A salmon~cida was isolated from returns of 2 year classes of coho Oncorhynchus kisutch and chinook 0 tshawytscha salmon Data suggested that non-lethal assay of mucus was comparable to standard lethal procedures used to detect and isolate A salmonicida from ludney tissues Non-lethal procedures were also used to detect A salrnoniclda and monitor the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy for the control of furunculosis among valuable Atlantic salmon Salmo salar broodstock maintained at the R~chard Cronin National Salmon Stahon (Sunderland, MA USA)