Isolation of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus from Atlantic herring Clupea harengus from the English Channel

Abstract

Viral haemorrhaglc septicaemia vuus (VHSV) was Isolated from apparently healthy Atlantlc herrlng Clupea harengus from the Engllsh Channel The virus was lsolated in blueglll flbroblast (BF-2) cells but not eplthelioma papulosum cypnni (EPC) cells, however, the vlrus was passaged from BF-2 to EPC cells The identlty of the vlrus was confirmed by an enzyme-llnked ~rnmunosorbent assay and by a reverse transcnptase-polymerase chain reactlon (RT-PCR) The vlrus was classifled as a member of genogroup 111 of VHSV which compnses many European freshwater and m a n n e VHSV 150lates Sequence compansons oi the RT-PCR products showed that the hernng isolate was closely related (99 1 % nucleotlde similarity) to a VHSV isolate from Atlantlc cod Gadus morhua both of those lsolates were avlrulent for ralnbow trout Oncorhynchus myklss by bath infection Circumstantial evidence IS presented whlch suggests that VHSV from hernng could have been the source of VHS dlsease In ralnbow trout in Denmark KEY WORDS: VHSV .