Determination and prevalence of Mycobacterium spp., in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) cultured in México

Objective. Determine the presence and prevalence of Mycobacterium spp., at tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) farms in the municipality of Champotón, Campeche, Mexico. Materials and methods. The collection of organisms was conducted in three farms of Nile tilapia at Champotón township, Campeche, Mexico. The organisms were examined externally and internally and a kidney sample was inoculated in different growth media: Löwestein-Jensen, TCBS, KF and TSA. The plates were incubated at 35°C for 24 to 48 hours, the organs were fixed in 10% buffered formalin to be processed for routine histology for further analysis. Likewise, bacterial culture samples and tissue were stained through the Ziel-Neelsen technique to observe the presence of acid-fast bacilli. Results. The results suggest that the presence of Mycobacterium spp., is constant and its high prevalence and could be an undermining issue in the profitability of this culture. Conclusions. The presence of Mycobacterium spp., represents a risk for tilapia culture in the municipality of Champotón, it is a very persistent and difficult to eradicate disease once an outbreak has occurred, reason for which it is important to bring more detailed studies of the presence of this bacterial genus, as well as prevention and spread of this pathogen in adjacent cultures.