Investigation into the susceptibility of saithe Pollachius virens to infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) and their potential role as a vector for viral transmission

• Published in: Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
• Main Authors: Snow, M., Raynard, R., Bruno, D.W., van Nieuwstadt, A.P., Olesen, Niels Jørgen, Lovold, T., Wallace, C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: saithe; orthomyxovirus; Pollachius virens; infectious salmon anaemia virus; ISAV; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/9bf7c9e1-9a36-4d3b-aeac-ffcb56247ae1; https://doi.org/10.3354/dao050013

Wild-caught saithe Pollachius virens were experimentally exposed to an isolate of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) of Norwegian origin. Mortality attributable to ISAV did not occur following exposure by intra-peritoneal (i.p.) injection of virus or by cohabitation with ISAV-infected Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Despite the individual testing of 120 ISAV-exposed saithe, ISAV was not detectable using RT-PCR, the most sensitive ISAV diagnostic tool demonstrated to date. Furthermore, saithe exposed to ISAV-infected salmon were not capable of transmitting virus when transferred to tanks containing naive salmon. Thus saithe appear to be resistant to this Norwegian isolate of ISAV and incapable of supporting its replication. Saithe which co-exist with salmon in and around aqua-culture facilities are considered unlikely to have a significant impact on the epizootiology of ISAV.