title: First outbreak of sleeping disease in Switzerland: disease signs and virus characterization.
abstract: Sleeping disease is a contagious disease mainly of freshwater farmed rainbow trout, caused by salmonid alphavirus (SAV) Subtype 2. Here we describe the first case in Switzerland. Pathological changes ranged from acute pancreas necrosis to more chronic lesions with complete loss of exocrine pancreas and simultaneous degenerative, inflammatory and regenerative heart and muscle lesions. The partial sequencing of SAV E2 and nsp3 genes placed the Swiss SAV variant within the Subtype 2 clustering together with freshwater isolates from UK and continental Europe. Although mortality stayed low, growth rates were significantly reduced, making the disease economically relevant.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Department of Infectious Disease and Pathobiology, University of Berne, Laenggassstrasse 122, PO Box 8466, 3001 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Posthaus
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Diserens
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jankowska Hjortaas
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Knüsel
authors.forename: Regula
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hirschi
authors.forename: Torunn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taksdal
mesh_terms: D000524:Alphavirus / Q000145:classification*; D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss; D010802:Phylogeny; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology