title: Isolation of the Fathead Minnow Nidovirus from Muskellunge Experiencing Lingering Mortality.
abstract: In 2011, the Fathead Minnow nidovirus (FHMNV; Genus Bafinivirus, Family Coronaviridae, Order Nidovirales) was isolated from pond-raised juvenile Muskellunge Esox masquinongy suffering from lingering mortality at the Wild Rose Hatchery in Wild Rose, Wisconsin. Moribund Muskellunge exhibited tubular necrosis in the kidneys as well as multifocal coalescing necrotizing hepatitis. The FHMNV was also isolated from apparently healthy juvenile Muskellunge at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery in Mattawan, Michigan. The identity of the two syncytia-forming viruses (designated MUS-WR and MUS-WL from Wild Rose Hatchery and Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery, respectively) as strains of FHMNV was determined based on multiple-gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. The pathogenicity of the MUS-WL FHMNV strain was determined by experimentally infecting naive juvenile Muskellunge through intraperitoneal injection with two viral concentrations (63 and 6.3 × 10(3) TCID50/fish). Both doses resulted in 100% mortality in experimentally infected fish, which exhibited severely pale gills and petechial hemorrhaging in eyes, fins, and skin. Histopathological alterations in experimentally infected fish were observed mainly in the hematopoietic tissues in the form of focal areas of necrosis. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated partial spike glycoprotein and helicase gene sequences revealed differences between the MUS-WL FHMNV, MUS-WR FHMNV, and two other FHMNV originally isolated from moribund Fathead Minnows Pimephales promelas including the index FHMNV strain (GU002364). Based on a partial helicase gene sequence, a reverse transcriptase PCR assay was developed that is specific to FHMNV. These results give evidence that the risks posed to Muskellunge by FHMNV should be taken seriously. Received May 1, 2015; accepted February 8, 2016.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources , Michigan State University , 1129 Farm Lane, Room 174, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 , USA.|b Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation , College of Veterinary Medicine,Michigan State University , 1129 Farm Lane, Room 174, East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , USA.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faisal
authors.affiliation: a Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources , Michigan State University , 1129 Farm Lane, Room 174, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 , USA.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.affiliation: a Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources , Michigan State University , 1129 Farm Lane, Room 174, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 , USA.|b Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation , College of Veterinary Medicine,Michigan State University , 1129 Farm Lane, Room 174, East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , USA.
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Winters
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation , College of Veterinary Medicine,Michigan State University , 1129 Farm Lane, Room 174, East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , USA.
authors.forename: Elena V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Millard
authors.affiliation: c Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources , 101 South Webster Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53707 , USA.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marcquenski
authors.affiliation: d Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory , 445 Easterday Lane, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 , USA.
authors.forename: Hui-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: d Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory , 445 Easterday Lane, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 , USA.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hennings
authors.affiliation: d Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory , 445 Easterday Lane, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 , USA.
authors.forename: Phil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bochsler
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation , College of Veterinary Medicine,Michigan State University , 1129 Farm Lane, Room 174, East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , USA.
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Standish
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation , College of Veterinary Medicine,Michigan State University , 1129 Farm Lane, Room 174, East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , USA.
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Loch
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation , College of Veterinary Medicine,Michigan State University , 1129 Farm Lane, Room 174, East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , USA.
authors.forename: Michelle R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.affiliation: e U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Investigation Services , National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Diagnostic Virology Laboratory , 1920 Dayton Avenue, Ames , Iowa 50010 , USA.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Warg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D017859:Esocidae; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*; D028381:Nidovirales / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030341:Nidovirales Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny