COMPARATIVE SEROLOGY OF 3 RECENT CANADIAN ISOLATES OF AQUATIC BIRNAVIRUS

Cross neutralization tests with serotype-specific rabbit antisera were completed for three recent Canadian isolates of aquatic birnavirus (i .e. infectious pancreatic necrosis virus, IPNV). The three virus isola tes, which were serologically related to each other, significantly cro ss-reacted (> 10% relatedness) with two of the five serotypes which ha ve been previously reported in Canada (i.e. with aquatic birnavirus pr ovisional serotypes A7 and A8). It is suggested that the aquatic birna virus provisional serotypes A7 and A8 are highly similar and may be ge ographically widespread in Canada.