Goldfish Carassius auratus susceptibility to viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus genotype IVb depends on exposure route

We assessed the susceptibility of goldfish Carassius auratus to infection by genotype IVb of the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus. Goldfish were infected by intraperitoneal injections of 10(6) plaque-forming units (pfu) fish(-1), single bath exposure of 10(5) pfu ml(-1) for 24 h, or consumption of 0.4 g of commercial fish feed soaked in 10(7) pfu per 8 fish. The mortality rate of intraperitoneal- infected goldfish was 10 to 32%, although the virus was detected by quantitative RT-PCR in 77% (65/84) of the survivors at the end of the 42 d trial, suggesting a carrier state. Severe gross lesions were observed in many of the moribund and dead goldfish such as hemorrhaging in the skin, fin, liver, kidney, brain, intestine, and eye as well as abdominal distension, bilateral exophthalmia, and splenomegaly.There was minimal morbidity or mortality in the immersion, feeding, or control groups.