Analysis of the Stability of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) Depending on Water Temperature

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) is a serious viral disease that infects the olive flounder in South Korea. The Korean aquaculture industry experienced an economic loss caused by the high infectivity and mortality. Wastewater is a factor in transferring infections to wild and cultured fish in waters near infected aquaculture farms. In this study, we analyzed the stability of the VHS virus in sterilized seawater depending on the water temperature. The VHS virus maintained infectivity for 8 days and was detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction after 10 days of inoculation to sterilized seawater at low temperatures. On the other hand, at high temperatures, the virus maintained infectivity for 4 days and was detected for 7 days. These results may contribute to basic data for epidemiological studies.