AQUAREOVIRUS INTERFERENCE MEDIATED RESISTANCE TO INFECTIOUS HEMATOPOIETIC NECROSIS VIRUS

This study investigated the stimulation of specific host defenses to I HNV that are created by prior exposure to an avirulent reovirus (chum salmon reovirus; CSV). Preexposure of rainbow trout to CSV for 1 h res ulted in a relative percent survival that ranged from 68 to 100% when fish were challenged with IHNV over an 8 week period. The levels of se rum neutralizing antibodies detected 28 d after the IHNV challenge wer e significantly lower among fish receiving prior exposures to CSV than among non-CSV-treated fish. The differences in the humoral response t o IHNV in the CSV-treated fish suggested that other immune defense mec hanisms may be involved.