DEMONSTRATION OF INFECTIOUS SALMON ANEMIA (ISA) VIRAL-ANTIGENS IN CELL-CULTURES AND TISSUE-SECTIONS

Rabbit polyclonal antibodies and mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAb) dir ected against infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) were produced usi ng a virus prepared in a newly established cell line culture developed from Atlantic salmon head kidney (SHK-1) cells. These antibodies were used to establish an indirect fluorescent antibody test for the detec tion of viral antigens in cell cultures and tissue cryosections. Speci fic fluorescence was detected in ISAV-infected cell cultures using rab bit polyclonal and MAb. One selected MAb produced specific staining fo r ISAV in the tissue sections from all the examined organs of ISAV-inf ected Atlantic salmon 20 d post infection. Fluorescence was mainly fou nd in the endothelial cells and in single cells scattered throughout t he parenchyma of the organs.