Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Testing of male sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) for infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus

January 1, 1987

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) virus has been isolated only rarely from whole milt samples of male sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). In 3 yr of testing, virus incidences in males ranged from 0 to 13% when milt was sampled but were 60–100% with spleen or kidney. When IHN virus was isolated from sockeye salmon milt at titers less than 3.00 log10 plaque-forming units (pfu)/mL, the level of virus in the kidney or spleen exceeded 7.00 log10 pfu/g. Higher rates of IHN virus isolation from kidney or spleen than from milt were also generally found in steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri), although the differences were less pronounced than in sockeye salmon. Furthermore, virus was sometimes isolated from steelhead trout milt when the level of virus in kidney or spleen samples was very low, and was recovered from some milt samples when none was isolated from the corresponding spleen sample. When male salmonids are tested for IHN virus, kidney or spleen samples are superior to whole milt, but milt should be included for critical examinations.

Publication Year 1987
Title Testing of male sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) for infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus
DOI 10.1139/f87-127
Authors D. Mulcahy, R.J. Pascho, W.N. Batts
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Index ID 70162119
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Western Fisheries Research Center