Effectiveness of Vancomycin Against Gaffkemia, the Bacterial Disease of Lobsters (Genus Homarus)

The antibiotics vancomycin, penicillin G, novobiocin, and oxytetracycline were examined for in vivo effectiveness against gaffkemia, the fatal bacterial infection of lobsters (genus Homarus) caused by Aerococcus viridans (var.) homari (formerly Gaffkya homari). Only vancomycin was truly effective against an established infection and then only when given at high levels (25 mg/kg lobster body weight) in the early stages of infection, prior to development of hemolymph bacterial numbers in excess of 3 × 104/ml or coincident hepatopancreatic bacterial levels of 1 × 107/g. Even massive cumulative doses (500 mg vancomycin/kg body weight), when given after establishment of maximum bacterial numbers, failed to impede the infection. Rates for the clearance of vancomycin from lobsters, established by using three different concentrations (25, 10, and 5 mg/kg body weight, respectively), were extremely slow and markedly concentration dependent. Twenty-five milligrams vancomycin/kg body weight injected prior to infection still gave a high degree of protection against challenge with the pathogen 50 days later in lobsters held at 15 C. One milligram vancomycin/kg body weight administered prior to infection gave complete protection against gaffkemia for 15 days after the antibiotic had been administered.