Susceptibility of Pacific herring to viral hemorrhagic septicemia is influenced by diet.
Groups of specific-pathogen-free Pacific herring Clupea pallasii were highly susceptible to infection by viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV); however, the level of mortality was influenced by diet during the 40-71 d before, during, and after the first exposure to the virus. Cumulative mortality was highest among the herring maintained on an experimental soy-based pellet, intermediate among those maintained on a commercially available fish-meal-based pellet, and lowest among those maintained on a second commercially available fish-meal-based pellet containing beta-glucans. Additionally, the herring maintained on the experimental soy-based feed demonstrated less growth than those on the commercially available feeds. The results indicate the importance of standardizing diet during empirical determinations of disease susceptibility and provide insights into the risk factors affecting VHS susceptibility in wild populations.
University of Great Falls, 1301 20th Street, Great Falls, Montana 59405, USA.
J
J
Beaulaurier
N
N
Bickford
J L
JL
Gregg
C A
CA
Grady
A L
AL
Gannam
J R
JR
Winton
P K
PK
Hershberger
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000662:veterinary; D005399:Fishes; D031941:Hemorrhagic Septicemia, Viral / Q000821:virology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms