PhD project has developed diagnostic tools and a scientific basis for the risk assessment of PRV-3 infections in salmon and trout.
In recent years, Piscine orthoreovirses (PRV) have been associated to disease outbreaks in farmed salmonids worldwide. A subtype, PRV-3, was firstly discovered in 2013 in Norway during disease outbreaks affecting farmed rainbow trout, and in 2017 the presence of PRV-3 was reported in Scotland, Germany, France, Italy and Denmark.
PhD Student Niccolò Vendramin, DTU Aqua has studied this virus and is going to defend his PhD thesis about the subject on 1 March 2019. His work has focused on the subtype PRV-3, which causes heart pathology in rainbow trout and until now has been poorly understood.
An important result of the PhD study is the development of sensitive and specific diagnostic tools for investigating PRV-3 infection in rainbow trout and a reproducible challenge model for studying the pathogenesis of this infection in fish. Furthermore, Niccolò Vendramin has characterized the PRV-3-virus, obtaining relevant information on its genome, its antigenic properties and its distribution in Europe.
The PhD project has also assessed the presence of PRV-1 in wild salmonids in northern Europe and in the Atlantic Ocean, in order to improve the understanding of the epidemiology of the virus in the wild fauna and the interaction between wild and farmed fish in the context of viral transmission.
Viral diseases are responsible for major economic losses in global aquaculture because of their difficult prevention and control and the lack of effective treatment and prophylaxis.
About the defence
Niccolò Vendramin will defend his PhD thesis "Piscine orthoreovirus. Distribution, characterization and experimental infections in salmonids" on Friday 1 March 2019, at 1:00 p.m. The defence takes place at DTU, Anker Engelunds Vej, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby in Building 101, Auditorium S01.
Supervisors
- Principal supervisor: Professor Niels Jørgen Olesen, DTU Aqua
- Co supervisor: Professor Espen Rimstad, NMBU, Norway
Examiners
- Professor Niels Lorenzen, DTU Aqua
- Doctor Kyle Garver, Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Professor Øystein Evensen, Norwegian University of Life Science, Norway
Chairperson at the defence
- Senior Researcher Stefan Neuenfeldt, DTU Aqua