Abstract

First isolation of a piscine nodavirus from wild caught Haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus G. (Gadidae).

Murray, W.J., Black, J., MacNeish, K., Snow, M., and Munro, E.S.
Bull. Eur. Ass. Fish Pathol.
30
1
15-24
2010
A piscine nodavirus was isolated from wild haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus, caught via commercial trawling in the North Sea, (N56 degree 56 double prime W2 degree 1.5 double prime ) east of Stonehaven, Scotland. The fish were transported to the aquarium facility at the Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen on 21/02/08 and allowed to acclimatize for a period of 10 weeks before further study. Four weeks into the study, 2 of the fish were observed swimming upside down and close to the surface of the water. A total of 42 fish were examined at two time points (28/05/08 and 17/07/08). Eight fish were found to be nodavirus positive by reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 3 of those fish were confirmed nodavirus positive by cell culture isolation and indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Sequence and genetic analysis revealed that the isolates were grouped within the barfin flounder viral nervous necrosis (BFNNV) genotype. This is the first report of viral nervous necrosis in wild caught haddock, which could represent a potential risk to the wild haddock stocks and the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry in Scotland. The risk associated with this isolate will be investigated at a later date by aquarium challenge studies.
Cambridge Scientific Abstracts