A species-discriminatory aerA TaqMan qPCR assay for rapid quantification of Aeromonas veronii in fish tissues and aquaculture water.

Aeromonas veronii is a major bacterial pathogen in freshwater aquaculture, yet rapid species-level quantification remains challenging within the genetically complex genus Aeromonas. We developed a singleplex hydrolysis-probe (TaqMan) quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay targeting an A. veronii-discriminatory region of the aerolysin gene (aerA) and validated it according to MIQE recommendations. Plasmid standards gave a linear range of 2 to 2 × 106 copies/reaction (R2 = 0.9962) with 100.5% amplification efficiency. The endpoint limit of detection was 2 copies per reaction, and 20 copies per reaction was set as the practical reporting limit based on reproducible detection and low intra- and inter-assay variation. Analytical specificity was evaluated with genomic DNA from an 18-strain panel, with reproducible amplification observed only for A. veronii. The assay was further tested in 55 fish-tissue and 11 aquaculture-water DNA extracts. NH8B-1D2 sample-process monitoring was used for matrix-level recovery correction, and tissue and water extraction blanks were undetermined. The aerA target was detected in all tested gill, stomach/intestine, spleen, kidney/head kidney, pond-water filter and Xiamen seawater filter extracts, and in 10/11 liver extracts. Median NH8B-corrected loads were highest in gill among tissues and higher in pond-water filters than in Xiamen seawater filters. A separate Vibrio harveyi inhibition-check assay indicated no obvious amplification-stage inhibition. This assay supports rapid quantification of aerA-positive A. veronii in fish and aquaculture-water matrices.