Vibrio damsela associated with diseased fish in Denmark.

A total of 26 Vibrio damsela strains were isolated in Denmark. Fifteen strains were isolated from the head kidney of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in aquaculture, eight were from organs of two stingrays (Dasyatis pastinaca) held in captivity, two were from organs and pathological material of a nurse shark (Orectolobus ornatus) held in captivity, and one was from the water in the aquarium where the rays and shark were kept. This is the first report on the isolation of V. damsela in Denmark and the first report on this organism associated with diseased farmed rainbow trout. Ecological and epizootiological aspects of the observation are discussed on the basis of phenotypic and genotypic properties of the isolated strains.