thumbnail

Understanding aquatic animal virus survival and trafficking and its role in risk assessment

By: , and 
Edited by: C.J. Rogers

Links

  • The Publications Warehouse does not have links to digital versions of this publication at this time
  • Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core

Abstract

The stability of infectious agents in different media and under different physical and chemical environments has been extensively studied for some viruses and virtually ignored for others. Gaps in our knowledge are due in part to difficulties in reproducing virus «life cycles» and determination if the agent is in fact inactive. Additionally, isolation of the agent under certain conditions can present significant challenges. Studies on the susceptibility of viruses to different physical or chemical parameters have often been conducted under artificial conditions and quantitative data on the rate of inactivation are lacking for many agents. Using infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) as an example, survival was assessed under different environmental conditions. Three IHNV isolates that exhibited antigenic and genetic differences were diluted either in freshwater collected from a spring, after it passed through a fish farm, or the river that received water from the fish farm. Each treatment was incubated at 15o C in a water bath and samples were removed daily. Virus concentrations were determined by plaque assay on EPC cells. Virus suspended in spring water survived longer than virus incubated in water obtained from a fish farm or the river. Virus suspended in river water exhibited a 99.99% reduction in virus concentrations in less than 24 h. Survival of IHNV was also evaluated at different temperatures. A 1982 isolate appeared to be less temperature sensitive than isolates collected in 1990. A preliminary study was also conducted to determine the genetic similarity of IHNV isolates present downstream in a river system from the state of Idaho. Isolates were analyzed using the RNase protection assay (RPA) and by nucleotide sequencing of RT-PCR products of specific isolates. Genetic typing of IHNV allows monitoring of virus traffic and may provide insight into the epizootiology and mechanisms of virus spread. These results illustrate the complexity in evaluating virus survival and trafficing and using this sort of information in risk assessment.

Publication type Conference Paper
Publication Subtype Conference Paper
Title Understanding aquatic animal virus survival and trafficking and its role in risk assessment
Year Published 2001
Language English
Publisher Office International des Epizooties
Contributing office(s) Western Fisheries Research Center
Description 8 p.
Larger Work Type Book
Larger Work Subtype Conference publication
Larger Work Title Proceedings of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) International Conference on Risk Analysis in Aquatic Animal Health
First page 251
Last page 258
Conference Title Office International des Epizooties (OIE) international conference on risk analysis in aquatic animal health
Conference Location Paris, France
Conference Date February 8-10, 2000
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details