Goldfish is Not a Susceptible Host of Koi Herpesvirus (KHV) Disease

Abstract

We attempted to assess the risk that goldfish Carassius auratus potentially transmits KHV to naïve carp Cyprinus carpio. Goldfish including three varieties and koi carp were exposed to three KHV isolates from Japan, USA and Israel, and cohabited with recipient naïve ‘wild type’ common carp, a highly susceptible strain, from 2 to 24 days post viral exposure (dpe). All of the recipient carp cohabited with KHV-exposed koi carp died due to KHV infection, whereas no mortality was observed in the recipient carp cohabited with the exposed goldfish. In addition, no KHV was detected in organs of the goldfish at 24 dpe by PCR. These results indicate that goldfish is not a susceptible host.