CLINICAL-RESPONSE OF SNAKEHEADS (OPHICEPHALUS-STRIATUS) TO EXPERIMENTAL-INFECTION WITH SNAKEHEAD FISH RHABDOVIRUS AND SNAKEHEAD CELL-LINE RETROVIRUS

Juvenile snakehead fish (Ophicephalus striatus) susceptible to epizoot ic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) were exposed to experimental infections w ith an EUS-associated rhabdovirus by intraperitoneal inoculation or ba th challenge, and to a snakehead cell line derived retrovirus by intra peritoneal inoculation. Experimentally infected groups of fish were he ld under observation at ambient temperature for 4-25 days in either cl ean, laboratory groundwater or pond water obtained from a field site c ontemporaneously affected with EUS. No obvious lesions indicative of E US developed in any of the infected fish in either aquatic environment over the observation period.