title: Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 as a potential biological control agent for carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Australia: susceptibility of non-target species.
abstract: Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) is a pest species in Australian waterways, and cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) is being considered as a potential biological control (biocontrol) agent. An important consideration for any such agent is its target specificity. In this study, the susceptibility to CyHV-3 of a range of non-target species (NTS) was tested. The NTS were as follows: 13 native Australian, and one introduced, fish species; a lamprey species; a crustacean; two native amphibian species (tadpole and mature stages); two native reptilian species; chickens; and laboratory mice. Animals were exposed to 100-1000 times the approximate minimum amount of CyHV-3 required to cause disease in carp by intraperitoneal and/or bath challenge, and then examined clinically each day over the course of 28 days post-challenge. There were no clinical signs, mortalities or histological evidence consistent with a viral infection in a wide taxonomic range of NTS. Furthermore, there was no molecular evidence of infection with CyHV-3, and, in particular, all RT-PCRs for viral mRNA were negative. As a consequence, the results encourage further investigation of CyHV-3 as a potential biocontrol agent that is specific for carp.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: McColl
authors.affiliation: CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sunarto
authors.affiliation: CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.affiliation: K&C Global Fisheries, Sale, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Industries, Narrandera Fisheries Centre, Narrandera, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asmus
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries Research Branch, Queenscliff, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fulton
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries Research Branch, Queenscliff, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre and La Trobe University, Mildura, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Industries, Narrandera Fisheries Centre, Narrandera, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gilligan
authors.affiliation: CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoad
authors.affiliation: CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: CSIRO-Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: M St J
authors.initials: MSJ
authors.lastname: Crane
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D061046:Biological Control Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D002347:Carps; D003445:Crustacea / Q000821:virology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000662:veterinary; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D005399:Fishes / Q000821:virology; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000502:physiology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D058865:Introduced Species; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Australia; Cyprinid herpesvirus 3; biological control agent; carp; non-target species susceptibility