Acronym NA
Category
Aquaculture
Title Undersøking av potensielle reservoarer for patogene virus: Fokus på NSAV og PMCV i marine akvakulturanlegg for atlantisk laks - Investigation of potential reservoirs for pathogenic viruses: Focus on NSAVs and PMCVs in marine aquaculture facilities for Atlantic salmon Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator Audny Hellebo Coordinator email ah@mfaa.no
Coordinator institution
NA
Institutions involved
NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway) ,
NA - PatoGen Analyze AS (Norway) ,
Start year 2011 End year 2014 Funding (€) € 263,257 Website https://www.fhf.no/prosjekter/prosjektbasen/900721/ Summary Pancreatic disease (PD) and cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) result in significant financial losses in sea-based farming. PD is caused by salmonid alphavirus (SAV) and CMS by the piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV). PD is a major problem from Rogaland to Sør ‐ Trøndelag and CMS a problem along the entire Norwegian coast. In an attempt to reduce the spread of PD, "Regulations on zones to prevent infection and control pancreatic disease in aquaculture animals" have been introduced. Section 13 of the regulations: "Measures for aquaculture facilities with a clinical outbreak of PD", stipulates that farming boats, feed rafts, floatations and other equipment from aquaculture facilities with a clinical outbreak of PD must be cleaned and disinfected before the equipment is used again. The purpose of this project was to identify possible virus reservoirs and new routes of transmission for SAV and PMCV. In the project, sample material was collected from facilities during eruptions, to be sure that viruses were present at the site. Captive and free-living organisms were collected at the edge of the cage, benthic organisms, sediment, biofilm and plankton. Hearts from salmon were also collected as reference samples. In addition, mucus, feces and salmon lice from salmon were examined. Fat leaching from excised pylorus and belly fat from dead salmon with PD has also been tested for viruses. Of the material collected, all organisms from cage and bottom, sediment, biofilm and plankton were negative for SAV and PMCV by Real ‐ Time RT ‐ PCR. SAV and PMCV were found in mucus, faeces and salmon lice from salmon. SAV was detected in the fat secretion from pylorus and belly fat from dead salmon with PD. SAV in the fat secretion was tested for replicating virus in cell culture and infectivity was confirmed by immunostaining. Through this project, there have been no indications that sedentary and free-living organisms on the edge of the cage, benthic organisms, sediment, biofilm and plankton are reservoirs for SAV. The collected material for PMCV is only from one plant - but gives the same indications as for SAV. Although no reservoirs have been identified in trapped and free-living organisms on the cage edge, etc. for SAV and PMCV, set-aside and cleaning are considered necessary to ensure that the site is cleaned of any accumulation of organic material between releases. It is also conceivable that other agents may have reservoirs in organisms other than salmon (e.g. Paramoeba Perurans). This project indicates that salmon itself constitutes the main reservoir for viruses and that fat floating on the surface in a plant with high infection pressure can be a factor in the spread of PD. Set-aside and cleaning of equipment will prevent the transmission of viruses to newly released smolts by removing organic material from salmon. Better dead fish handling will be important to prevent the spread of infection since fat film can be transported with the upper water masses.
The primary objective of this project is to reduce the spread of pancreas disease (PD) and cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) in the aquaculture industry. Both these diseases generate considerable economic loss especially when they affect large fish. With knowledge of reservoirs for the viruses causing these diseases, it could be possible to make guidelines of how to delay disease outbreak and limit further transmission of these pathogenic viruses.
Keywords
Salmon;
Fish health;
Fish;
Open sea aquaculture;
Disease;
Cage aquaculture;
Marine Region
76
Not associated to marine areas
0
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