Inter-Research

ABSTRACT: Blood and pancreatic tissue from Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. postsmolts were sampled from 5 sea water fish farms in Norway during clinical outbreaks of IPN. Formalin-fixed pancreatic tissue was examined histologically. The presence of IPN-virus (IPNV) in pancreatic lesions was demonstrated at all farms by means of immunohistochemistry. IPNV was isolated in cell cultures, both from kidney and pancreatic tissue sampled from 2 of the farms. alpha-Tocopherol in blood plasma was measured by HPLC. The levels of alpha-tocopherol in blood plasma from Atlantic salmon with acute IPN were significantly lower than in healthy fish sampled from the same cages. We conclude that vitamin E levels cannot be used to differentiate IPN from pancreas disease.

KEY WORDS: Infectious pancreatic necrosis . Atlantic salmon . Vitamin E . alpha-Tocopherol . Pancreas disease