First Isolation of a Novel Aquatic Flavivirus from Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Its In Vivo Replication in a Piscine Animal Model

Abstract

Chinook salmon are a keystone fish species of great ecological and commercial significance in their native northern Pacific range and in regions to which they have been introduced. Threats to salmon populations include habitat degradation, climate change, and infectious agents, including viruses. While the first isolation of a flavivirus from wild migrating salmon may indicate an emerging disease threat, characterization of the genome provides insights into the ecology and long evolutionary history of this important group of viruses affecting humans and other animals and into an expanding group of recently discovered aquatic flaviviruses.