Host tropism of infectious salmon anaemia virus in marine and freshwater fish species

Abstract The aquatic orthomyxovirus infectious salmon anaemia virus ( ISAV ) causes a severe disease in farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Although some ISA outbreaks are caused by horizontal transmission of virus between farms, the source and reservoir of the virus is largely unknown and a wild...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Fish Diseases
Main Authors: Aamelfot, M, Dale, O B, McBeath, A, Falk, K
Other Authors: Atlantic Innovation Fund, Canada Inc., Novartis Animal Health
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jfd.12284
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjfd.12284
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jfd.12284
Description
Summary:Abstract The aquatic orthomyxovirus infectious salmon anaemia virus ( ISAV ) causes a severe disease in farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Although some ISA outbreaks are caused by horizontal transmission of virus between farms, the source and reservoir of the virus is largely unknown and a wild host has been hypothesized. Atlantic salmon are farmed in open net‐pens, allowing transmission of pathogens from wild fish and the surrounding environment to the farmed fish. In this study, a large number of fish species were investigated for ISAV host potential. For orthomyxoviruses, a specific receptor binding is the first requirement for infection; thus, the fish species were investigated for the presence of the ISAV receptor. The receptor was found to be widely distributed across the fish species. All salmonids expressed the receptor. However, only some of the cod‐like and perch‐like fish did, and all flat fish were negative. In the majority of the positive species, the receptor was found on endothelial cells and/or on red blood cells. The study forms a basis for further investigations and opens up the possibility for screening species to determine whether a wild host of ISAV exists.