Pathogenesis of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus in Adult Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

Abstract

The concentration of infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) virus was determined in eight organs and two body fluids from each of 60 adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). Included in the sample were 4 males and 56 prespawning, spawning, or spent female fish. All fish were infected, and virus was present in nearly all organs. There was an overall tendency for the mean concentration to increase in many of the organs over time as the fish progressed in ripeness. In prespawning females, IHN virus could be detected in all organs and in ovarian fluid but not in serum; the incidences were highest in the gills, spleen, and pyloric ceca, and the titers were highest in the pyloric ceca and liver. Incidences of infection in the organs were higher in spawning than in prespawning females and higher still in spent females in which the incidence of virus was 100% in all organs except brains (78%) and sera (67%). Virus concentrations in organs or fluids ranged from 5 to 4.0 × 109 plaque-forming units per millilitre. In males, the highest incidences of virus were found in gills, pyloric ceca, and liver. The gills were the only organ in which the virus concentration in males exceeded that of females.Key words: infectious hematopoietic necrosis, IHN, fish virus, viral pathogenesis, sockeye salmon