GLG
Well-Known Member
I would advise caution not to add 1+1 and make 5 out of this. With that said there will be plenty to watch as scientist mull this over and discuss what implications these new results means to our beloved salmon.
https://elifesciences.org/articles/47615
Abstract
The collapse of iconic, keystone populations of sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) and Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) salmon in the Northeast Pacific is of great concern. It is thought that infectious disease may contribute to declines, but little is known about viruses endemic to Pacific salmon. Metatranscriptomic sequencing and surveillance of dead and moribund cultured Chinook salmon revealed a novel arenavirus, reovirus and nidovirus. Sequencing revealed two different arenavirus variants which each infect wild Chinook and sockeye salmon. In situ hybridisation localised arenavirus mostly to blood cells. Population surveys of >6000 wild juvenile Chinook and sockeye salmon showed divergent distributions of viruses, implying different epidemiological processes. The discovery in dead and dying farmed salmon of previously unrecognised viruses that are also widely distributed in wild salmon, emphasizes the potential role that viral disease may play in the population dynamics of wild fish stocks, and the threat that these viruses may pose to aquaculture.
Epidemiological maps of Salmon pescarenavirus 1 and 2 (SPAV-1 and SPAV-2), Chinook aquareovirus (CAV) and Pacific salmon nidovirus (PsNV) around the coast of Vancouver Island.
Individual samples are shown at the location collected, negative samples are black, and positive samples are coloured and sized according to the virus copy number.
Viral disease is a potential threat to wild fish stocks; yet little is known about viruses circulating in wild, farmed, or hatchery salmon. Here, through metatranscriptomic surveys, we reveal several previously unknown viruses that were discovered in dead and dying aquaculture fish, and show them to also occur in wild and hatchery-reared fish. Depending on the viral and host species, the viruses range from being localised to widespread, from infecting <1% to >20% of fish, and being from within the limits of detection to very high loads. Our results are consistent with some of these viruses being causative agents of disease, making it critical to understand their possible roles in salmon mortality and the decline of wild salmon populations, and their potential interactions with net-pen fish farming and hatchery rearing. Viral discovery in moribund individuals followed by extensive surveillance and histopathological localisation are powerful tools towards the ultimate goals of identifying causative agents of disease and understanding the impact of infectious agents in wild populations. These insights are crucial as juvenile salmon that are in less than optimal health are expected to have lower rates of survival in the wild. Continued surveillance and knowledge of endemic and emerging virus infections in these iconic salmon species is beneficial for their conservation.
https://elifesciences.org/articles/47615
Abstract
The collapse of iconic, keystone populations of sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) and Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) salmon in the Northeast Pacific is of great concern. It is thought that infectious disease may contribute to declines, but little is known about viruses endemic to Pacific salmon. Metatranscriptomic sequencing and surveillance of dead and moribund cultured Chinook salmon revealed a novel arenavirus, reovirus and nidovirus. Sequencing revealed two different arenavirus variants which each infect wild Chinook and sockeye salmon. In situ hybridisation localised arenavirus mostly to blood cells. Population surveys of >6000 wild juvenile Chinook and sockeye salmon showed divergent distributions of viruses, implying different epidemiological processes. The discovery in dead and dying farmed salmon of previously unrecognised viruses that are also widely distributed in wild salmon, emphasizes the potential role that viral disease may play in the population dynamics of wild fish stocks, and the threat that these viruses may pose to aquaculture.
Epidemiological maps of Salmon pescarenavirus 1 and 2 (SPAV-1 and SPAV-2), Chinook aquareovirus (CAV) and Pacific salmon nidovirus (PsNV) around the coast of Vancouver Island.
Individual samples are shown at the location collected, negative samples are black, and positive samples are coloured and sized according to the virus copy number.
Viral disease is a potential threat to wild fish stocks; yet little is known about viruses circulating in wild, farmed, or hatchery salmon. Here, through metatranscriptomic surveys, we reveal several previously unknown viruses that were discovered in dead and dying aquaculture fish, and show them to also occur in wild and hatchery-reared fish. Depending on the viral and host species, the viruses range from being localised to widespread, from infecting <1% to >20% of fish, and being from within the limits of detection to very high loads. Our results are consistent with some of these viruses being causative agents of disease, making it critical to understand their possible roles in salmon mortality and the decline of wild salmon populations, and their potential interactions with net-pen fish farming and hatchery rearing. Viral discovery in moribund individuals followed by extensive surveillance and histopathological localisation are powerful tools towards the ultimate goals of identifying causative agents of disease and understanding the impact of infectious agents in wild populations. These insights are crucial as juvenile salmon that are in less than optimal health are expected to have lower rates of survival in the wild. Continued surveillance and knowledge of endemic and emerging virus infections in these iconic salmon species is beneficial for their conservation.