Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 as a potential biological control agent for carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) in Australia: susceptibility of non‐target species

Abstract

Carp ( Cyprinus carpio L.) is a pest species in Australian waterways, and cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (Cy HV ‐3) is being considered as a potential biological control (biocontrol) agent. An important consideration for any such agent is its target specificity. In this study, the susceptibility to Cy HV ‐3 of a range of non‐target species ( NTS ) was tested. The NTS were as follows: 13 native Australian, and one introduced, fish species; a lamprey species; a crustacean; two native amphibian species (tadpole and mature stages); two native reptilian species; chickens; and laboratory mice. Animals were exposed to 100–1000 times the approximate minimum amount of Cy HV ‐3 required to cause disease in carp by intraperitoneal and/or bath challenge, and then examined clinically each day over the course of 28 days post‐challenge. There were no clinical signs, mortalities or histological evidence consistent with a viral infection in a wide taxonomic range of NTS . Furthermore, there was no molecular evidence of infection with Cy HV ‐3, and, in particular, all RT ‐ PCR s for viral mRNA were negative. As a consequence, the results encourage further investigation of Cy HV ‐3 as a potential biocontrol agent that is specific for carp.

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