TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL EASTERN FISH HEALTH WORKSHOP Royal Pavilion Resort, Atlantic Beach, NC MARCH 9-11, 1999 Further Characterisation Of Infectious Salmonid Anemia Virus (ISAV) In Atlantic Canada Marcia Cook1, K. Melville1, L.Hutchin1, R.Ritchie1, J.Heppel2, S. Jones2 and S.Griffiths2 1Research and Productivity Council (RPC),921 College Hill Road, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, E3B 6Z9;2AquaHealth Ltd, west Royalty Industrial Park, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada C1E 1B0 An overview will be given of recent information generated from surveillance program activities as well as from efforts to further characterise the Canadian isolate of ISAV at an immunological and genomic level. Polyclonal antisera were developed to viral particles from infected cell cultures followed by boosts with purified preparations. The antisera strongly recognised a 71 kDa protein in infected cell pellets as well as an additional 42kDa protein. Further, serum neutralisation studies indicated that the serum was effective in increasing the time required for the appearance of cytopathic effects on the SHK-1 cell line compared to a routinely used monoclonal antibody. A cohabitation study was initiated to determine the length of time required for the detection of ISAV in fish serum and mucus by RT-PCR. The results indicated that ISAV is established rapidly in naive parr with positive results recorded in all fish sampled after 4 weeks despite the lack of obvious symptoms. Further, RT-PCR signal could be detected in surviving fish at 21 weeks post-infection, indicating the potential for carrier or silent infections. Work on genomic characterisation continues with the establishment of a cDNA library and a genomic library from purified viral particles or infected cells. Early results indicate the identification of a large open reading frame specific to virally infected tissues that bears some similarity to viral proteins. Return to 24th Annual Eastern Fish Health Workshop Return to Leetown Science Center Home Page