DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION IN FARMED ATLANTIC SALMON, SALMO-SALAR L - EVIDENCE OF CONSUMPTIVE COAGULOPATHY

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., suffering from 'Hitra disease' showed an increase in activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time values, and a decrease to very low levels of plasma fibrinogen when compared to healthy controls. Together with a marked thrombocytopenia, these results present firm evidence of consumptive coagulopathy with disseminated intravascular coagulation in diseased fish. When the control pen was retested after 4 weeks, a consumptive coagulopathy was evident also in this group of fish. The fact that this pen came down with 'Hitra disease' about 8 weeks later strongly supports our hypothesis that DIC is a basic pathologic process in this disease.