Mass mortality of giant abalone Haliotis gigantea caused by a Francisella sp. bacterium.

The article discusses a study on the mass mortality among giant abalone Haliotis gigantea Gmelin due to a Francisella bacterium on a private abalone farm in Shimane Prefecture, Japan in February 2005. Universal primers for bacteria were used to amplify 16S recombinant DNA (rDNA). Mortality was not recorded in abalone injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The coccus-like particles in the sections of diseased abalone showed strong hybridization signals. It is mentioned that mammals were the previously known host of Franciscella.