ENTRY AND SEQUENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF AN AQUATIC BIRNAVIRUS IN TURBOT (SCOPHTHALMUS-MAXIMUS)

Experimental infections with a birnavirus strain isolated from turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) were conducted by immersion and intraperitoneal injection in turbot. Virus could be recovered in skin, mucus and inte stine from fish infected by immersion, only up to 3 days post-infectio n. The distribution in internal organs was fast after intraperitoneal injection and virus was recovered with high titres from intestine, kid ney, liver and spleen. The lowest titres were detected in brain and gi lls. Virus was isolated from plasma and blood fractions of the intrape ritoneally infected turbot. Preliminary work on the influence on infec tion of turbot by intraperitoneal injection on the haematological para meters shows that there is no significant difference between infected and uninfected fish in the haematocrit value, number of leukocytes and concentration of plasma proteins.