title: Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 and its evolutionary future as a biological control agent for carp in Australia.
abstract: Biological invasions are a major threat to global biodiversity. Australia has experienced many invasive species, with the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) a prominent example. Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) has been proposed as a biological control (biocontrol) agent for invasive carp in Australia. Safety and efficacy are critical factors in assessing the suitability of biocontrol agents, and extensive host-specificity testing suggests that CyHV-3 is safe. Efficacy depends on the relationship between virus transmissibility and virulence. Based on observations from natural outbreaks, as well as the biology of virus-host interactions, we hypothesize that (i) close contact between carp provides the most efficient transmission of virus, (ii) transmission occurs at regular aggregations of carp that favour recrudescence of latent virus, and (iii) the initially high virulence of CyHV-3 will decline following its release in Australia. We also suggest that the evolution of carp resistance to CyHV-3 will likely necessitate the future release of progressively more virulent strains of CyHV-3, and/or an additional broad-scale measure(s) to complement the effect of the virus. If the release of CyHV-3 does go ahead, longitudinal studies are required to track the evolution of a virus-host relationship from its inception, and particularly the complex interplay between transmission, virulence and host resistance.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.|CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: McColl
authors.affiliation: CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.|CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.
authors.forename: Agus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sunarto
authors.affiliation: Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, the University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. Edward.holmes@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Edward C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Holmes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D002347:Carps / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000821:virology*; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D058507:Host Specificity; D058865:Introduced Species; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents
keywords: Biological invasion; Cyprinid herpesvirus 3; Cyprinus carpio; Evolution; Host specificity; Transmission; Virulence; Virus