Sleeping disease and pancreas disease: comparative histopathology and acquired cross-protection

Sleeping disease (SD), a disease of freshwater-reared rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), was histologically compared to pancreas disease (PD), a disease of sea water-reared Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Some weeks after injection of kidney homogenates from SD- or PD-affected fish in rainbow trout, the fish successively developed pancreatic, heart and muscular lesions in both populations, although the SD-injected population was the most affected. An acquired protection was observed against PD and SD after an initial injection with PD- or SD-infective material. This acquired cross-protection and the similar histopathologies in PD and SD suggest the two diseases could be caused by a similar or identical agent.