Piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV) in wild Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

Dis Aquat Organ. 2012 Dec 27;102(2):157-61. doi: 10.3354/dao02536.

Abstract

Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe cardiac disease of sea-farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., but CMS-like lesions have also been found in wild Atlantic salmon. In 2010 a double-stranded RNA virus of the Totiviridae family, provisionally named piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), was described as the causative agent of CMS. In the present paper we report the first detection of PMCV in wild Atlantic salmon. The study is based on screening of 797 wild Atlantic salmon by real-time RT-PCR. The samples were collected from 35 different rivers along the coast of Norway, and all individuals included in the study were classified as wild, based on visual appearance and scale reading. Two samples tested positive during PCR analysis, and the results were confirmed by sequencing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Wild
  • Cardiomyopathies / epidemiology
  • Cardiomyopathies / veterinary*
  • Cardiomyopathies / virology
  • Norway
  • RNA Virus Infections / epidemiology
  • RNA Virus Infections / veterinary*
  • RNA Virus Infections / virology
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • Salmo salar*
  • Totiviridae / genetics
  • Totiviridae / isolation & purification*