Herpesvirus cyprini: lethality and oncogenicity

Abstract

Abstract. Cyprinid herpesvirus 1 (CHV) or Herpesvirus cyprini was virulent for carp, Cyprinus carpio L., fry following 1 h immersion in water at 20 °C. Cumulative mortality for carp fry was 86–97% in 2‐week‐old common carp, 20% in 4‐week‐old fancy carp, and 0% in both 8‐week‐old common and fancy carp. The virus did not produce mortality in fry of crucian carp, grass carp or other cyprinids. It was also oncogenic in carp, inducing papillomas to the extent of 55% among both common and fancy carp fry. The neoplasms appeared 5–6 months after carp had been exposed to the virus by immersion and recurred at an incidence of 83% in carp 7·5 months post‐desquamation of the tumour. The CHV was reisolated from all moribund fish and from all survivors. It also induced papillomas at an incidence of 13% in adult mirror carp and at 10% in adult fancy carp 5 months after intraperitoneal inoculation of 105 TCID50 ml‐1 fish. The virus was rcisolated only from the ncoplastic tissue and not from internal organs. The neoplasms were normally located on fin, skin or mandible, at the intraperitoneal inoculation site. Specific fluorescence for CHV antigen was frequently detected in the gills, liver, kidneys and intestine of 2‐week‐old fry from 3 to 21 days following challenge with CHV. It was found in greater concentrations in experimentally induced papillomata on 2‐week‐old carp fry survivors examined 24 weeks after challenge than in naturally occurring neoplasms.