Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Orono, Maine » National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #423006
Research Project: Improving North American Atlantic Salmon Aquaculture Production

Location: National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center

Title: PRV-1 virulence in atlantic salmon is affected by host geno-type

Author
item Polinski, Mark
item GROSS, LYNDEN - Department Of Fisheries And Oceans Canada
item GROMAN, DAVID - University Of Prince Edward Island
item ALARCÓN, MARTA - Pharmaq Analytiq
item BRACELAND, MARK - Onda
item BOOMAN, MARIJIE - Onda
item DITLECADET, DELPHINE - Department Of Fisheries And Oceans Canada
item May, Samuel
item GAGNÉ, NELLIE - Department Of Fisheries And Oceans Canada
item GARVER, KYLE - Department Of Fisheries And Oceans Canada

Submitted to: Viruses
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2025
Publication Date: 2/19/2025
Citation: Polinski M, Gross L, Groman D, Alarcón M, Braceland M, Booman M, Ditlecadet D, May S, Gagné N, Garver K. PRV-1 Virulence in Atlantic Salmon Is Affected by Host Genotype. Viruses. 2025; 17(2):285. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17020285
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v17020285

Interpretive Summary: A disease known as Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI) is a significant disease affecting Atlantic salmon production in Norway, but has had limited impact to Atlantic salmon production in North America. The causative agent of the disease, piscine orthoreovirus (PRV), occurs in both locations, thus begging the question as to what other factors are involved in the development of HSMI. In this study we identified that the different strains of Atlantic salmon being cultured in respective locations affects the severity of disease outcome. This work provides at least one potential mechanism (i.e., selection based on family resistance) for reducing HSMI disease severity in areas where the disease is problematic and highlights that host recognition of PRV is the driving factor for disease.

Technical Abstract: Heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) is a significant disease affecting Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) production in Norway but has had limited impact to production in North America. The causative agent of HSMI is piscine orthoreovirus genotype 1 (PRV-1), and disease variation between regions is suggested to be at least partially driven by genetic variation of the virus. Using controlled laboratory injection challenges, we corroborate variations in disease outcomes for three PRV-1 isolates (PRV-1a from the eastern Pacific, PRV-1a from the western Atlantic, and PRV-1b from the Norwegian sea); however, virus replication dynamics, host recognition, and PRV-1 as-sociated heart inflammation were also discrete relative to the Atlantic salmon stock challenged, irrespective of the viral isolate used. Specifically, New Brunswick Tobique River Atlantic salmon had less (p < 0.01) heart inflammation relative to Mowi-McConnell Atlantic salmon of Western Canada which in turn had less (p < 0.01) heart inflammation than Mowi Atlantic salmon of Scotland when cumulatively considering challenges using all three PRV-1 isolates. This data indicates that the presence of PRV-1a or PRV-1b alone is not sufficient to reliably predict disease and highlights at least one potential mechanism (host genotype) for reducing HSMI disease severity.