title: New disease records for hatchery-reared sturgeon. I. Expansion of frog virus 3 host range into Scaphirhynchus albus.
abstract: In 2009, juvenile pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus, reared at the Blind Pony State Fish Hatchery (Missouri, USA) to replenish dwindling wild stocks, experienced mass mortality. Histological examination revealed extensive necrosis of the haematopoietic tissues, and a virus was isolated from affected organs in cell culture and then observed by electron microscopy. Experimental infection studies revealed that the virus is highly pathogenic to juvenile pallid sturgeon, one of several species of sturgeon currently listed as Endangered. The DNA sequence of the full length major capsid protein gene of the virus was identical to that of the species Frog virus 3 (FV3), the type species for the genus Ranavirus, originally isolated from northern leopard frog Lithobates pipiens. Although FV3 infections and epizootics in amphibians and reptiles are well documented, there is only 1 prior report of a natural infection of FV3 in fish. Our results illustrate the broad potential host range for FV3, with the known potential to cause significant mortality in poikilothermic vertebrates across 3 taxonomic classes including bony fishes, anuran and caudate amphibians, and squamate and testudine reptiles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Waltzek
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drecktrah
authors.forename: Jeffrey T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Briggler
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: MacConnell
authors.forename: Crystal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Lacey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Friary
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Kirsten V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Malm
authors.forename: E Scott
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Ronald P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hedrick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D005399:Fishes; D058507:Host Specificity; D017995:Ranavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*