Data from: Laboratory transmission of Adult Salmon Enteritis and associated pathogens in juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Data files
Feb 27, 2026 version files 19.94 KB
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phase1_histo.csv
1.18 KB
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phase1_mortality.csv
7.18 KB
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phase2_histo.csv
2.46 KB
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phase2_mortality.csv
4.94 KB
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README.md
4.18 KB
Abstract
Adult Salmon Enteritis (ASE), characterized by severe ulcerative enteritis, has been linked to pre-spawn mortality (PSM) in spring Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in certain rivers in Oregon, USA. Catastrophic losses of spring Chinook Salmon have resulted from PSM, a significant threat to their population stability. Understanding the causes of ASE is therefore critical for mitigating PSM and supporting conservation. This study investigates the potential infectious etiology of ASE using a juvenile Chinook Salmon model. Fish were immunocompromised with dexamethasone implants, fasted, and exposed to intestinal tissues from ASE-affected adult Chinook. Histopathology of the recipient fish revealed mid-intestinal lesions consistent with ASE. The microsporidium Enterocytozoon schreckii, which is observed in ASE-affected adults from rivers, was transmitted for the first time to juvenile Chinook Salmon, making E. schreckii a potential new pathogen of juvenile salmon. Additionally, intranuclear inclusions were identified in enterocytes by histopathology, and viral particles were detected by electron microscopy in recipient fish. The study demonstrates that intestinal lesions consistent with ASE can be experimentally induced in juvenile Chinook Salmon through oral exposure to infected tissues, supporting an infectious etiology. Further research is needed to isolate specific pathogens, including viruses and E. schreckii, and to elucidate their roles in ASE development.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wwpzgmswq
Description of the data and file structure
Phase 1 Histo: Histology data from the Phase 1 section of our experiment.
Phase 2 Histo: Histology data from the Phase 2 section of our experiment.
Phase 1 Mortality: Mortality data over time from the Phase 1 section of our experiment.
Phase 2 Mortality: Mortality data over time from the Phase 2 section of our experiment.
Any na represent missing data
Files and variables
File: phase1_histo.csv
Description: Phase 1 experimental section for choosing appropriate dexamethasone and fasting regimes to use for the Phase 2 section.
Variables
- fish_id: Individual fish ID numbers.
- month: Time the fish were collected (Month 1 [24 days] or Month 2 [50 days])
- Tank: Tank the fis the tankh were placed in.
- treatment: Dexamethasone (HighDose, LowDose, Control) and/or Fasting (HighFast, LowFast, Control) treatments.
- sex: Female (F) or Male (M) or Unknown (U).
- enteritis: Histologic score (0,-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- villar_folds: Histologic score (0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- hepatic_vacuoles: Histologic score (0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- kidney_melanin: Histologic score (0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- coelomitis: Histologic score (0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- branchitis: Histologic score ,(0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- Myositis: Histologic score (0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
File: phase1_mortality.csv
Description: Mortality data over time of the Phase 1 experiment, where individual fish were given ID numbers and tracked over time.
Variables
- Fish: ID number
- Day: Day during the experimental period (0-50).
- Event: Survival (0) or mortality (1).
- Dex_treatment: Dexamethasone treatment group (HighDose, LowDose, or CThe fish was in the tank the fish was in.
- Diet_treatment: Diet treatment group (HighFast, LowFast, or Control).
File: phase2_histo.csv
Description: Phase 2 experiment where fish were subjected to different groups: DexFast Only, ASE Only, DexFast + ASE, and Control groups. Dex = dexamethasone treatment. Fast = fasting diet. ASE = oral gavage exposure to intestinal tissues from adult salmon affected by adult salmon enteritis (ASE).
Variables
- fish-id: Individual fish ID.
- month: Time the fish were collected (Month 1 [24 days] or Month 2 [50 days])
- Tank: Tank the fis the tankh were placed in.
- treatment: DexFast Only, ASE Only, DexFast + ASE, and Control groups (see Description).
- sex: Male (M), Female (F), or Unknown (U).
- weight: Whole body weight at experiment termination (50 days) in grams.
- es: Enterocytozoon schreckii detection by H&E stain.
- es-luna: Enterocytozoon schreckii detection by Luna stain.
- enteritis: Histologic score (0,-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- dysplasia: Histologic score (0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- int-folds: Histologic score ,(0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- hep-vacuolation: Histologic score, (0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- kidney-melanin: Histologic score (0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- coelomitis: Histologic score, re (0-3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
- Myositis: Histologic score (0, 3; normal, mild moderate, severe)
File: phase2_mortality.csv
Description: Mortality data over time of the Phase 2 experiment section, where individual fish were given ID numbers and tracked over time.
Variables
- Fish: ID number
- Day: Day during the experimental period (0-50).
- Event: Survival (0) or mortality (1).
- Tank: Tank identification.
- Treatment: Treatment group (DexFast Only, ASE Only, DexFast + ASE, and Control).
Code/software
Microsoft Excel was used to visualize the .csv files, although other options are available to view this file type.
Access information
All data was generated by this research experiment and is not available anywhere else.