Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V70
Höfundar / Authors: Marina de la Cámara (1), Heiða Sigurðardóttir (1), Árni Kristmundsson (1), Birkir Þór Bragason (1)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. Institute for Experimental Pathology at Keldur
Kynnir / Presenter: Marina de la Cámara
Piscine orthoreovirus (PRV) is associated with persistent heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in farmed and wild salmonids, with implications for ecosystem health, animal welfare, and aquaculture. In Iceland, PRV-1 is widespread in farmed Atlantic salmon, but its presence in Arctic charr and brown trout had not been investigated. In this study, we screened wild and farmed populations of Atlantic salmon, Arctic charr, and brown trout across Iceland to assess PRV occurrence and genetic variability. For the first time, we report PRV in both wild and farmed Icelandic Arctic charr, with sequences resembling PRV-2. This variant occurred at high viral loads in farmed fish, while incidence and load were lower in the wild. Histopathology revealed lesions consistent with HSMI potentially linked to PRV-2. We also detected PRV-3 in brown trout from at least two lakes. These findings expand the known host range of PRV revealing for the first time its presence in Arctic charr worldwide, and brown trout in Iceland. They also show distinct patterns of prevalence, viral load, and sequence variability across species and environments, underscoring the virus’s evolutionary potential.