A novel parvovirus (family Parvoviridae) in a freshwater fish, zander (Sander lucioperca).

ABSTRACT

In this study, a novel parvovirus (zander/M5/2015/HUN, OK236393) was detected in faecal specimens from a fish - zander or pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) - and genetically characterized using viral metagenomics and PCR methods. The NS1 and VP1 proteins of zander/M5/2015/HUN share <30% aa sequence identity, respectively, with the corresponding proteins of known members of the family Parvoviridae. Out of 62 faecal specimens collected from 13 freshwater fish species, three (4.8%) samples were positive by PCR for the novel parvovirus - all from zander. This is the second parvovirus detected in fish - after the disease-causing tilapia parvovirus of the subfamily Hamaparvovirinae - and it potentially represents a novel genus in the subfamily Parvovirinae.