Wenxu Xia, Lingqi Zhuang, Yuchen Liu, Kai Li, Bing Qin, Shuling Yan, Yongxin Yu, Yongjie Wang
{"title":"White Spot Syndrome Virus Envelope Protein VP53B Functions as a Trypsin Inhibitor and Interacts With Hemocyanin.","authors":"Wenxu Xia, Lingqi Zhuang, Yuchen Liu, Kai Li, Bing Qin, Shuling Yan, Yongxin Yu, Yongjie Wang","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.70183","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) remains a persistent and significant threat to the global shrimp aquaculture industry. However, its pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood, and no effective intervention strategies are currently available. In this study, we investigated the functional role of VP53B, an envelope structural protein of WSSV, using a combination of infection bioassays, protein structure prediction, protease inhibition assays and protein binding analyses. Our results demonstrate that VP53B is a critical determinant of per os (oral) infection in shrimp, including Procambarus clarkii (crayfish) and Litopenaeus vannamei (whiteleg shrimp). Functionally, VP53B acts as a trypsin inhibitor and interacts with host hemocyanin. We propose that through modulation of shrimp trypsin and hemocyanin, VP53B disrupts the prophenoloxidase-activating system, a key innate immune pathway, thereby facilitating successful WSSV infection. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying WSSV oral infectivity and highlights VP53B as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e70183"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147673880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Branchial Arteritis in Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792): A Novel Pathology Associated With Environmental and Infectious Stressors.","authors":"Paola Beraldo, Gabrita De Zan","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70179","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.70179","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The frequency and impact of non-infectious cardiac and vascular diseases in salmonids have increasingly been recorded in the recent literature. Among others, case collections reported enlarged and round-shaped heart, vessels misalignment, epicarditis, coronary and ventral aorta arteriosclerosis, and myocardial fibrosis, degeneration, and necrosis, highlighting their potential influence on fish wellness, performance, and mortality and raising considerable attention in the field. In the present cases, peculiar histopathologic lesions involving the branchial arteries, bulbus arteriosus and ventral aorta developed after intense rainfalls in rainbow trouts. The morphological changes encompassed a spectrum of inflammatory arterial lesions of varying severity, ranging from mild inflammation to severe arteritis with fibrinoid necrosis and thrombosis, thus differing substantially from those previously reported. The context is further compounded by the presence of a severe and systemic form of proliferative kidney disease in a few subjects. Given the importance of cardiovascular pathology in farmed salmonids, these novel and unusual findings are relevant for understanding the spectrum of cardiovascular lesions potentially affecting these species. Moreover, the impairment of cardiovascular and respiratory function likely entailed by these lesions could compromise fish welfare by reducing their ability to cope with stressful events or adverse climatic environmental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e70179"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147645571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lemar Blake, Arianne Brown Jordan, Soren Nicholls, Esteban Soto, Luke Iwanowicz, Rod Suepaul, Christopher Oura, Ayanna Carla N Phillips Savage
{"title":"Diagnosis of Mycobacteriosis in Cultured Hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) in Trinidad and Tobago.","authors":"Lemar Blake, Arianne Brown Jordan, Soren Nicholls, Esteban Soto, Luke Iwanowicz, Rod Suepaul, Christopher Oura, Ayanna Carla N Phillips Savage","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.70156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mycobacteriosis is a significant disease in fish husbandry, with negative impacts on production facilities. Moreover, some Mycobacterium spp. that infect fish have zoonotic potential. Morbidity and mortality events at hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) farms in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) associated with mycobacterial infections prompted a broader surveillance investigation across the hybrid tilapia farms within the country. Of the 168 specimens examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 42% were Mycobacterium spp. positive. Among the mycobacteria-positive specimens, clinical signs (lethargy and loss of equilibrium) were observed in 96% (68 of 71), of which gross external abnormalities were evident in 7% (5 of 68) and internal lesions (granulomas) in 22% (15 of 68). Specimens that were mycobacteria-negative showed no clinical signs, gross abnormalities or lesions. Sequence analysis of a partial 723-bp rpoB (region V) fragment confirmed the presence of a consortium of uncharacterised Mycobacterium spp. in 18 hybrid tilapia specimens. These findings suggest that potentially novel species are circulating within and causing clinical and subclinical disease in the local farmed hybrid tilapia population in T&T. The study also revealed that over the period 2020-2021, 75% (9 of 12) of the major hybrid tilapia production facilities in T&T were infected with mycobacteria. This represents the first documentation of a piscine mycobacteriosis outbreak in hybrid tilapia in the Caribbean.</p>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e70156"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B Klimesova, N M Ruane, R Domingo-Bretón, F Moroni, F Naya-Català, J Pérez-Sánchez, K O'Dwyer, O Lyashevska, H Rodger, A Talbot
{"title":"Sea Lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) Harbour Putative Fish Pathogens: Insights From Illumina and Nanopore Sequencing.","authors":"B Klimesova, N M Ruane, R Domingo-Bretón, F Moroni, F Naya-Català, J Pérez-Sánchez, K O'Dwyer, O Lyashevska, H Rodger, A Talbot","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70182","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.70182","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ectoparasites that penetrate host skin can act as biological or mechanical vectors for pathogens and, in some cases, serve as reservoirs. Crustacean ectoparasites of fish are potential vectors of pathogens, which is especially relevant for obligate pathogens (e.g., Aeromonas salmonicida) with limited seawater survival. Sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis), affecting Atlantic salmon, cause dermal damage and can facilitate secondary infections, resulting in economic losses. While the physical impact of sea lice is well known, their role in pathogen transmission is less clear. The gut bacterial microbiome of lice collected over four months from a salmon farm in Ireland was analysed using Illumina MiSeq and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) PromethION sequencing for comparison. Illumina and Nanopore sequencing identified 15 and 24 genera of known fish pathogens, respectively. Moreover, Nanopore data revealed up to 15 putative pathogenic species, including Tenacibaculum maritimum, T. dicentrarchi and Vibrio anguillarum, causative agents of tenacibaculosis and vibriosis. The results of this study provide a gut bacterial microbiome characterisation of L. salmonis in a commercial aquaculture setting and demonstrate the potential of sea lice to act as pathogen vectors or reservoirs. These findings have important implications for pathogen surveillance, management, and prevention strategies in salmon aquaculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e70182"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147638523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nijia Xue, Lin Huang, Jieying Yu, Jia Cai, Zhengzhao Liu, Yibing Wang, Shu Cheng, Junxiang Lai, Ying Pan, Qing Yu, Wenhong Li, Pengfei Li
{"title":"Investigating the Antiviral Mechanism of Kaempferol Against Grouper Iridovirus: Combined Evaluation of In Vitro Activity and In Vivo Efficacy.","authors":"Nijia Xue, Lin Huang, Jieying Yu, Jia Cai, Zhengzhao Liu, Yibing Wang, Shu Cheng, Junxiang Lai, Ying Pan, Qing Yu, Wenhong Li, Pengfei Li","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.70173","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) is one of the major pathogens that pose significant threats to the aquaculture industry. Kaempferol is a flavonoid compound extracted from Illicium verum Hook.f. (star anise), a material that is both edible and used in traditional medicine. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral effects of kaempferol against SGIV in vitro and in vivo, and elucidated the antiviral mechanism. Our study found that kaempferol could effectively resist SGIV infection in vitro and in vivo. Kaempferol might destroy the SGIV envelope and interfere with the attachment, invasion, and replication stages of SGIV infection. Transcriptomic analysis showed that differentially expressed genes regulated by kaempferol were enriched in ribosome, NF-κB, and phospholipase D signalling pathways. Further screening of immunity-related genes and pathway analysis revealed that antiviral immune responses were mainly governed by the JAK-STAT, PI3K-Akt, and TNF signalling pathways. This study demonstrated that kaempferol exhibited significant antiviral effects against SGIV through multiple mechanisms and had the potential to become an anti-SGIV fishery drug. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of effective drugs for the prevention and treatment of SGIV.</p>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e70173"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147633660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Noor-Ul Huda, Magali Duran, Jonnel Edwards, Cynthia Ware, Olando Harvey, Matt J. Griffin, David P. Marancik
{"title":"Pathologic Description and Genetic Characterisation of Kudoa thunni From Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the Caribbean Sea","authors":"Noor-Ul Huda, Magali Duran, Jonnel Edwards, Cynthia Ware, Olando Harvey, Matt J. Griffin, David P. Marancik","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70094","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jfd.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Yellowfin tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>) is a valuable recreational and commercial species in Grenada and the Caribbean region. Myxozoans, specifically the monotypic Kudoidae family within the Order Multivalvulida, are marine parasitic organisms that can negatively impact fish health and marketability. On 8 September 2023, muscle fillets from a yellowfin tuna caught off the coast of Grenada and containing numerous white nodules were submitted for diagnostic evaluation. Gross examination of the muscle showed firm, spherical to ovoid, white polysporous cysts approx. 0.8–1.3 mm in diameter and approx. 10–20 cysts per 2 × 2 cm section of muscle. Cysts were sharply excised and assessed by wet mount cytology revealing a myriad of quadrate myxosporean parasites consistent with the genus <i>Kudoa</i>. Histopathologic examination demonstrated numerous, intracytoplasmic plasmodia with thick hyaline walls containing intact and necrotic myxospores. Parasites present outside of plasmodia were associated with myoliquifaction of the tissue. The case isolate was morphologically consistent with <i>K. thunni</i> and the partial 18S small subunit rDNA (SSU) and 28S large subunit rDNA (LSU) demonstrated high homology (SSU: 99.8%–100%; LSU: 99.5%–100%) to several <i>K. thunni</i> isolates, including those isolated from blackfin tuna (<i>T. atlanticus</i>) harvested near the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. This is the first report of <i>K. thunni</i> infecting yellowfin tuna in the Caribbean region and expands the epidemiologic, pathologic, and molecular record for this parasite.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":"49 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145714842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Robert D. Gonzales, Haley R. Dutton, Reginald B. Blaylock, Stephen A. Bullard, Eric A. Saillant
{"title":"Freeze Tolerance of Amyloodinium ocellatum (Myzozoa: Blastodiniales)","authors":"Robert D. Gonzales, Haley R. Dutton, Reginald B. Blaylock, Stephen A. Bullard, Eric A. Saillant","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70088","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jfd.70088","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Amyloodinium ocellatum</i> causes epizootics in marine fish hatcheries. Frozen, wild fish, often used as food in aquaculture, could introduce the disease. We investigated the parasite's ability to survive, reproduce and infect a host after freezing. Infected gills were frozen at −20°C for either 0, 24, 36, 48, or 72 h. Parasite viability was assessed first by placing thawed infected gills into tanks with naïve fish. Gills of the exposed fish were examined on day 0 and on days 4 and 7 post-exposure. Tomonts from infected gills in all freeze durations produced infections. However, dinospore production decreased and infections took longer to establish in fish exposed to tomonts from the 72 h treatment. Second, eight tomonts from each freeze duration were placed in 5 mL of 25 ppt artificial seawater at 22°C in individual wells of a 12-well plate and monitored for hatching. Ninety seven percent of tomonts from all treatments hatched. Tomonts frozen for up to 72 h survived, reproduced and infected fish, but dinospore production decreased as freeze duration increased. Extrapolation from the rate of reduction in dinospore production over the freeze durations tested suggests that a freeze duration of 237 h could inactivate all tomonts.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":"49 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145634400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John Paul Matthew Domingo Guzman, Claudio Gargano, Mikio Aoki, Hiroshi Kuwahara, Keiichiro Koiwai, Hidehiro Kondo, Ikuo Hirono
{"title":"Freeze-Dried Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Regulates Formation of Extracellular Traps in Penaeus vannamei Ex Vivo","authors":"John Paul Matthew Domingo Guzman, Claudio Gargano, Mikio Aoki, Hiroshi Kuwahara, Keiichiro Koiwai, Hidehiro Kondo, Ikuo Hirono","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70092","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jfd.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The formation of extracellular traps (ETosis) is an innate immune mechanism in shrimp against pathogens. Microorganisms are entrapped in extruded DNA fibres co-localised with antimicrobial peptides and eventually killed. However, as a cell death mechanism, its strict regulation is essential as excessive formation of ETs may cause detrimental effects to the host by contributing to disease pathophysiology. Here, we investigated the ability of freeze-dried <i>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</i> (FD-LAB), previously reported to enhance shrimp immunity against pathogenic infections, to regulate ETosis. In an ex vivo setup, gill cells and circulating hemocytes were pre-exposed to FD-LAB and were then stimulated with <i>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</i>. Results showed that <i>V. parahaemolyticus</i> alone induced ETosis in both gill cells and circulating hemocytes, while FD-LAB alone did not. However, when cells were pre-exposed to FD-LAB prior to stimulation with <i>V. parahaemolyticus</i>, no ETosis occurred. Similarly, changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production coincided with the formation of ETs, thus signifying that FD-LAB may regulate ETosis in shrimp gill cells and circulating hemocytes possibly by dampening ROS production. These results present a novel means to regulate ETosis and indicate that FD-LAB may enhance shrimp immunity while also acting on immune regulation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":"49 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145634471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Establishment of a Hybrid Snakehead Spleen Cell Line for Viral Studies","authors":"Xuanming Liu, Qing wang, Xiudong Guo, Yingying Li, Xubing Mo, Jiyuan Yin, Shucheng Zheng, Jian Zhao, Xidong Mu, Yingying Wang","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70096","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jfd.70096","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A spleen-derived cell line was established from the spleen of hybrid snakehead (♀<i>Channa argus</i> × ♂<i>Channa maculata</i>) (abbreviated as CAMsp), a species of considerable economic importance in China's freshwater aquaculture, which is severely impacted by the hybrid snakehead rhabdovirus (HSHRV), largemouth bass ranavirus (LMBV), and infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV). The establishment of a stable in vitro culture system is imperative for the effective isolation, identification, and study of fish viruses. CAMsp, generated through trypsin digestion, had successfully undergone over 80 passages since its initial culture. This cell line exhibited rapid proliferation in Leibovitz's-15 medium (L-15) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum at 28°C, achieving monolayer formation within 24 h at a passage ratio of 1:3. Chromosomal analysis of CAMsp at the 60th passage identified a chromosome count of 42; the chromosome number in hybrid snakehead somatic cells is 44, 45, or 46, suggesting chromosomal alterations. Inoculation of CAMsp monolayers with HSHRV, LMBV, and ISKNV resulted in characteristic cytopathic effects (CPE), including cell rounding, aggregation, and eventual detachment. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed viral replication and revealed extensive cytopathological changes within the infected cells, demonstrating the susceptibility of the CAMsp cell line to all three viruses. Viral titers, determined by TCID<sub>50</sub> assay at 7 days post-infection (dpi), reached 10<sup>9.25</sup> ± 10<sup>0.36</sup> TCID<sub>50</sub>/mL for LMBV, 10<sup>6</sup>·<sup>15</sup> ± 10<sup>0.25</sup> TCID<sub>50</sub>/mL for ISKNV, and 10<sup>8</sup>·<sup>33</sup> ± 10<sup>0.12</sup> TCID<sub>50</sub>/mL for HSHRV, indicating efficient viral propagation in this cell line. The CAMsp cell line serves as a valuable model for studying certain fish viruses, virus-host interactions, and disease prevention strategies.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":"49 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145687641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joy A. Becker, Paul M. Hick, Dorothea Megarani, Hannah Siler, Felipe Pierezan, Shannon N. Gray, Kuttichantran Subramaniam
{"title":"Risk of Spread of Megalocytivirus pagrus1 (Infectious Spleen and Kidney Necrosis Virus) From Frozen Fillets","authors":"Joy A. Becker, Paul M. Hick, Dorothea Megarani, Hannah Siler, Felipe Pierezan, Shannon N. Gray, Kuttichantran Subramaniam","doi":"10.1111/jfd.70086","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jfd.70086","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is a significant threat to global aquatic food security by causing large-scale mortality in the aquaculture of tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>) and mandarin fish (<i>Siniperca chuatsi</i>). ISKNV is a genogroup of <i>Megalocytivirus pagrus1</i>, along with RSIV and TRBIV, and their recent listing as WOAH-notifiable diseases highlights the need to assess spread pathways to prevent exotic pathogen incursions. An albino rainbow shark (<i>Epalzeorhynchos frenatum</i>) challenge model was used to evaluate the risk of ISKNV introduction from the trade in frozen seafood products by determining viability after freezing and the median infectious dose (ID<sub>50</sub>). Six donor fish were injected with ISKNV with tissues collected after clinical signs appeared and used immediately or stored at −20°C for 7 days. Challenge inocula were prepared consisting of snout, eyes, and brain (Pool A; representative of head-on eviscerated fish products), caudal skin and muscle (Pool B; representative of skin-on fillet only products) or peritoneal viscera (Pool C; positive control group). Fish were challenged by bath immersion or intraperitoneal injection and sampled for ISKNV detection by qPCR at morbidity/death, or on Day 14. Negative control fish all survived without detection of ISKNV. All tissue pools including ‘skin-on fillet only’ caused infection and disease via IP injection or immersion, whether used fresh or frozen, showing ISKNV remains infectious after 7 days at −20°C. The model estimated an ID<sub>50</sub> of 42 ISKNV genome equivalents (95% CI: 19–98). This study is the first to investigate the potential for ISKNV spread via frozen fish products, a commodity frequently traded in international markets. The findings provide evidence to inform import risk assessments and highlight the need for further investigation into spread pathways involving uncooked, frozen fish products.</p>","PeriodicalId":15849,"journal":{"name":"Journal of fish diseases","volume":"49 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13051329/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145563515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}