Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E26
Höfundar / Authors: Heiða Sigurðardóttir, Claire Costa, Samuel Casás Casal, Þórunn Sóley Björnsdóttir, Guðrún Día Oddsdóttir, Birkir Þór Bragason, Árni Kristmundsson
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: The Institute for Experimental Pathology at Keldur, Iceland
Kynnir / Presenter: Samuel Casás Casal
The Salmon Gill Poxvirus (SGPV) is known to cause an acute respiratory disease, sometimes leading to high mortality in juvenile farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). In 2015, the whole genome of SGPV was characterized and published, providing insight into the genetic structure of the virus. Since 2018, samples from farmed Atlantic salmon have been screened for SGPV at Keldur. However, knowledge about the genetic composition of SGPV in Iceland and its presence in wild salmonids has remained limited. The aim of the project was to sequence the highly conserved major capsule protein (MCP) and three genetically variable regions, V15, V16 and V27, from SGPV-positive samples collected 2018-2024 from farmed Atlantic salmon. Furthermore, to screen wild salmonids caught in the autumn of 2024 for SGPV by qPCR and sequence any positive samples obtained. SGPV was detected in samples from both wild and farmed Atlantic salmon. Samples from other salmonids were negative. Sequencing and comparison to published SGPV showed highest similarity to Scottish and Faroese SGPV variants. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that there are at least two SGPV variants in Iceland. This project provided a foundation for further research of the genetic diversity of SGPV in wild and farmed Atlantic salmon in Iceland.