Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 as a potential biological control agent for carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Australia: susceptibility of non‐target species |
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| Authors: | K A McColl A Sunarto J Slater K Bell M Asmus W Fulton K Hall P Brown D Gilligan J Hoad L M Williams M St J Crane |
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| Affiliation: | 1. CSIRO‐Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Vic., Australia;2. K&C Global Fisheries, Sale, Vic., Australia;3. Department of Primary Industries, Narrandera Fisheries Centre, Narrandera, NSW, Australia;4. Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries Research Branch, Queenscliff, Vic., Australia;5. The Murray‐Darling Freshwater Research Centre and La Trobe University, Mildura, Vic., Australia |
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| Abstract: | Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) is a pest species in Australian waterways, and cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV‐3) is being considered as a potential biological control (biocontrol) agent. An important consideration for any such agent is its target specificity. In this study, the susceptibility to CyHV‐3 of a range of non‐target species (NTS) was tested. The NTS were as follows: 13 native Australian, and one introduced, fish species; a lamprey species; a crustacean; two native amphibian species (tadpole and mature stages); two native reptilian species; chickens; and laboratory mice. Animals were exposed to 100–1000 times the approximate minimum amount of CyHV‐3 required to cause disease in carp by intraperitoneal and/or bath challenge, and then examined clinically each day over the course of 28 days post‐challenge. There were no clinical signs, mortalities or histological evidence consistent with a viral infection in a wide taxonomic range of NTS. Furthermore, there was no molecular evidence of infection with CyHV‐3, and, in particular, all RT‐PCRs for viral mRNA were negative. As a consequence, the results encourage further investigation of CyHV‐3 as a potential biocontrol agent that is specific for carp. |
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| Keywords: | Australia biological control agent carp Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 non‐target species susceptibility |
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