Research
Deadly eel virus can spread in a surprising way
Earth.com · By Sanjana Gajbhiye ·
The Brief
- A herpesvirus that kills European eels can spread from one fish to another when they bite each other, according to a Belgian study.
- The study provides the first evidence that biting can transmit this virus.
- Until now it was assumed that these fish viruses spread mainly through water.
Why it matters
Showing that biting transmits the virus changes how infection spread in eel stocks is understood, which matters for managing disease in farmed and wild European eels.
Who’s affected
- fish health researchers
- eel aquaculture and fisheries managers
- #eel
- #herpesvirus
- #fish disease
- #transmission
- #belgium
A herpesvirus that kills European eels can jump from one fish to the next when they bite each other. A Belgian study provides the first evidence that biting can transmit this virus. Fish live in water, so the assumption has been that their viruses travel through it too. For…
Timeline
Earth.com reports the Belgian study showing biting can transmit the eel herpesvirus
Earth.com
Deadly eel virus can spread in a surprising way