Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus (EHNV): growth in fish cell lines at different temperatures

Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus (EHNV), a fish iridovirus first isolated in 1986 in Australia, is the aetiological agent of epizootic haematopoietic necrosis, a disease affecting a restricted range of finfish species and notifiable to the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). While EHNV can be grown in a range of fish cell lines, the OIE Manual recommends use of only certain cell lines and a specific temperature of 22°C. Here, we report a study designed specifically to assess the susceptibility of different fish cell lines incubated at two different temperatures (15°C and 22°C). The results indicate that a broad range of fish cell lines, incubated at various temperatures, could be used for the detection and isolation of EHNV.