Is There Any Species Specificity in Infections with Aquatic Animal Herpesviruses?–The Koi Herpesvirus (KHV): An Alloherpesvirus Model

• Published in: Fisheries and aquaculture journal Vol. 7; no. 2; pp. 1 - 5
• Main Authors: Bergmann, Sven M , 1FLI Insel Riems, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany, Cieslak, Michael, Fichtner, Dieter, Sharma, Lata, Dabels, Juliane, Monaghan, Sean J, Wang, Qing, Zeng, Weiwei, Kempter, Jolanta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Omics International 01.04.2016; HATASO Enterprises, LLC
• Subjects: Fishery research; Herpesviruses; Host-virus relationships; KHV; KHVD; Koi; Rainbow trout; Transmission
• ISSN: 2150-3508; 2150-3508
• DOI: 10.4172/2150-3508.1000169

Most diseases induced by herpesviruses are host-specific; however, exceptions exist within the family Alloherpesviridae. Most members of the Alloherpesviridae are detected in at least two different species, with and without clinical signs of a disease. In the current study the Koi herpesvirus (KHV) was used as a model member of the Alloherpesviridae and rainbow trout as a model salmonid host, which were infected with KHV by immersion.KHV was detected using direct methods (qPCR and semi-nested PCR) and indirect (enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay; ELISA, serum neutralization test; SNT). The non-koi herpesvirus disease (KHVD)-susceptible salmonid fish were demonstrated to transfer KHV to naïve carp at two different temperatures including a temperature most suitable for the salmonid (15°C) and cyprinid (20°C). At 20°C KHVD was induced in carp cohabitated with infected trout. KHV was also detected virologically and serologically at the end of the experiment in both rainbow trout and carp.