ISOLATION OF A TOGA-LIKE VIRUS FROM FARMED ATLANTIC SALMON SALMO-SALAR WITH PANCREAS DISEASE

Pancreas disease (PD) of farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar has been recognised in Scotland, Ireland, Norway, the USA, France and Spain and can cause severe economic loss. This paper reports the isolation, from PD-affected fish, of a virus with physicochemical characteristics and morphology resembling members of the Togaviridae. When inoculated into Atlantic salmon post-smelts it causes pathological changes in pancreas, heart and muscle tissues which are indistinguishable from those present in field outbreaks of PD. It is proposed that the virus be named salmon pancreas disease virus (SPDV).