Isolation of salmon pancreas disease virus (SPDV) from farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in Scotland

A toga-like virus was recently isolated in the present authors' laboratory from Atlantic salmon during an outbreak of PD in Ireland (Nelson, McLoughlin, Rowley, Platten & McCormick 1995). When inoculated into Atlantic salmon post-smolts, this virus, known as salmon pancreas disease virus (SPDV), caused pathological changes in the pancreas, heart and skeletal muscle which were indistinguishable from those observed in natural outbreaks of PD (McLoughlin, Nelson, Rowley, Cox & Grant 1996). In 1996 a serological survey was carried out to determine the presence and distribution of antibodies to SPDV in Irish, Scottish and Norwegian farm-reared Atlantic salmon (McLoughlin, Rowley & Doherty 1998). The results of this survey indicated that SPDV is present in the major European salmon-producing countries. The present paper describes the first isolation of SPDV from farm-reared, PD-affected Atlantic salmon in Scotland.