Dissemination of spring viraemia of carp (SVC) in Serbia during the period 1992-2002

Abstract

An acute contagious viral disease caused by Rhabdovirus carpio, spring viraemia of carp, was described for the first time by Fijan in 1972. Carp is the most important susceptible species in all age categories, although other species of cyprinid fish also contract the disease. As the name suggest, the disease typically appears in spring, when the water temperature increases. The disease is often complicated by the secondary appearance of bacterial and parasitic infections. The clinical symptoms include and presume gathering of infected fish near the sides of the pond, uncoordinated swimming, darkening of body color, pale gills, petechial bleeding (of the skin, eyes, gills, and fin bases), exophthalmus, and the appearance of pseudofecal expulsions from the infected anus. Pathoanatomical examination sometimes reveals only oedematous organ enlargement and intestinal inflammation. A varying degree of haemorrhaging is present in the bladder, internal organs, and fluid-containing cavities. Diagnosis is based on isolation and identification of the virus and ELISA in the laboratory. More than 1664 samples were analyzed in the course of the 10-year investigation (from 1992-2002) from different carp hatchery localities in the Republic of Serbia. Rhabdovirus carpio was isolated and identified at more than a third of the tested fish hatcheries (31,57%) infected with the spring viraemia virus. Although the disease was known earlier, it now represents an urgent problem in many European countries, and has been causing great damage in intensive and semi-intensive carp production in our country during the last few years. Therefore, special attention has been paid to it

Phylogenetic analysis of spring viraemia of carp virus isolated in Serbia

“…In Serbia, the disease was the leading cause of mass mortalities in carp aquaculture for over 30 years. From 1992 to 2001, 21 disease outbreaks were observed on 12 carp farms during spring (Jeremic et al, 2004). Given the significance of the virus for Serbian carp aquaculture, there have been efforts to reduce mortalities and eliminate the virus from carp populations through SVCV monitoring programmes initiated in the 1970s and continuing to this day.…”

“…Due to its significance for Serbian carp aquaculture, SVCV surveillance programmes were initiated in the early 1980s and continue to the present. Over a 10-year period (1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002), 12 of 38 hatcheries in Serbia were positive for SVC by virus isolation and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Jeremic et al, 2004). The first reported case of SVCV in Serbia dates back to the beginning of May 1986 when the virus was isolated from diseased carp in a farm near Futog, where a mass mortality of approximately 60% occurred (S. Jeremic unpublished data).…”