1. Spring Viremia of Carp
Firas Abdul Malik
M.Sc. Fish Biology

2. Domain: Virus
Group: "RNA viruses"
Order: Mononegavirales
Family: Rhabdoviridae
Genus: Vesiculovirus
Species: spring viremia of carp virus
Source: (Zhang, et al., 2009).

3. This viral disease is caused by Rhabdovirus
carpio, a bullet-shaped RNA virus (Sano, et al., 2011).
Spring viremia of carp is systemic and acute and highly
contagious viral disease of carp (Cyprinus carpio) and
perhaps other cyprinids (Basic, et al., 2009). It usually
occurs and causes high mortality at temperatures of (11-
13C)-(Emmenegger & Kurath, 2008), typically as
temperatures rise in spring (Carstens,2010). SVC is also
called (Infectious Dropsy of Carp, Infectious Ascites,
Hydrops, Red Contagious Disease, Rubella,
Hemorrhagic Septicemia) (Sano, et al., 2011). The
disease can cause up to 100% mortality and affects all
ages of fish. It has resulted in significant economic
losses to fisheries in all the World. ( Haghighi, et al.,
2008). 3

4. History of the Virus:
The disease was initially diagnosed in Yugoslavia
(Fijan, et al., 1971). Since then, it has been identified in
other European countries, Russia, Middle East, United
States and United Kingdom. (Sano, et al., 2011). Mortality
has reached 70% in yearling carp from European
populations. Adult fish can also be affected but to a lesser
degree.
4
Figure (1): SVC Virus (bullet like Shape)

5. CLINICAL SIGNS OF VIRUS:
5

6. 1. SKIN HEMORRHAGES
Source: (Sano, et al., 2011).
Figure (2)
Source: (Zhang, et al., 2009).
Photos: Garth Traxler (USGS, Seattle WA), Dr Jim Winton (USGS, Seattle WA), Dr Mohamed Faisal 6
(MSU, Lansing MI) and Dr Paul Bowser (Cornell, Ithaca NY) Figure (3)

7. 2. HEMORRHAGES OF INTERNAL
ORGANS
Source: (Sano, et al., 2011). Source: (Dixon, 2008).
Figure (4) Figure (5)
7

8. 3. EXOPHTHALMIA 4. DISTENDED ABDOMEN
(BULGING EYES) (BLOATED APPEARANCE)
Source: (Zhang, et al., 2009).
Source: (Basic, et al., 2009).
Figure (6) Figure (7)

9. 5. SKIN DARKENING 6. PALE GILLS
Source: (Zhang, et al., 2009).
Figure (8) Figure (9): Spring viremia of carp. Pale
gills with hemorrhage in experimentally
infected (a) carp compared with gills in
control fish (b). Basic, et al., (2009).

10. 7. HEMORRHAGES 8. HEMORRHAGES
IN MUSCLE IN SWIM BLADDER
Source: (Dixon, 2008). Source: (Sano, et al., 2011).
Figure (10) Figure (11)

11. 9. SWOLLEN STOMACH 10. HISTOPATHOLOGICAL
SECTION OF GILL IN CARP
INFECTED WITH SVC
Source: (Basic, et al., 2009).
Source: (Dixon, 2008).
Figure (12) Figure (13)

12. 11. FISH KILLS
Figure (14) : Salmon Hatchery,
Washington – (Coho salmon
killed by SVC virus).Source:
(Dixon, 2008).

13. Fish behavior after infection:
1. Appear lethargic.
2. Slowed respiration.
3. Loss of equilibrium.
4. Separate from the shoal.
5. Tilting to one side.
6. Lying on bottom of pond.
7. Gather at the water inlet or sides of a
pond.
(Sano, et al., 2011); (Carstens, 2010); (Basic, et al., 2009); (Soliman
, et al., 2008); (Emmenegger & Kurath, 2008).

15. Fish types which affected by
virus.
1.Common carp. 2.Silver carp.
3.Grass carp. 4.Goldfish.
5.Koi carp. 6.Crucian carp.
7.Bighead carp. 8.Catfish.
9.Orfe. 10.Tench.
11.Salmon.
(Zhang,et al., 2009).

17. Table (1): Virus transmission and Infection degree
(Zhang,et al., 2009).
Transmission 1. Direct transmission via water,
2. mechanical transmission via
parasites & birds
Infection Depends on:
degree 1.Age.
2.Water Temperature.
3.Other Stress Factors.

18. gather at the
water inlet or sides of a pond.

19. Table (2): Control and treatment of disease (Carstens,
2010).
Prevention 1. Depopulation and disinfection.
2. Continuous rearing at 20-22 C.
& 3. Hygienic measures. Beware of
potential carriers. Vaccination is
Control at an experimental stage.
Treatment Raise of water Temperature to
above 20 C.

20. equilibrium.

21. Table (3): Degree of infection according to the fish age
(Adel, et al., 2008).
Fish stage % Infection % Mortality
Fry >80% >60%
Fingerlings 55-70% 40-55%
Juvenile 40-50% 30-40%
Adult <30% <25%

22. .

23. Incubation period:
The incubation period of SVC depends on:
1. Water temperature,
2. Species,
3. Age,
4. Condition of the fish,
5. Quantity of virus, and on
6. Certain environmental conditions.
(Sano, et al., 2011); (Adel, et al., 2008); (Basic, et al., 2009);
Table (4): Effect of temperature fluctuation on
mortality rate (Sano, et al., 2011).
Temp. % Mortality Period (days)
10-12 C 90% 2-4
12-16 C 75% 4-7
16-17 C 60% 7-15
17-26 C 30% 15-21

24. Figure (15): Influence of water temperature on SVCV (spring viremia of carp
virus)-infection of carp Cyprinus carpio leading to virus multiplication (10-
12 C) or to production of antibodies (20-22 C). SPF carp (25-30g) were intra
peritoneally infected with SVCV. Infected fish kept at 10-12 C and 20-22 C
were analyzed for values of virus, antibodies and death . Source: (Dixon,
2008).

25. Conclusion:
1. Disease outbreaks in carp generally occur between 11-
17 C.
2. Disease rarely occur below 10 C.
3. Small fish more affected than older fish.
4. Fish mortalities decline as the temperature exceeds
22 C.
5. In carp, the disease is often observed in springtime
(hence the common name for the disease).
6. Rare in countries having cold winters.
7. It is believed that the poor condition of the over-
wintered fish may be a contributory factor in disease
occurrence.
8. The disease can occur in fish in quarantine following
the stress of transportation, even though there has
been no evidence of virus in the fish prior to
transportation.

26. References
Adel, H. K.; Moigan, B.; Zarrin, S. & Bahram, K. (2008). The First Report of
Spring Viraemia of Carp in Some Rainbow Trout Propagation and
Breeding by Pathology and Molecular Techniques in Iran. 2013 Science
Alert. All Rights Reserved. Asian Journal of Veternary Advances.3 (4):
263-268. Islamic Azad University of Iran,Tehran.
Basic, A.; Schachner, O.; Bilic, I. & Hess, M. (2009). Phylogenetic analysis of
spring viraemia of carp virus isolates from Austria indicates the existence
of at least two subgroups within genogroup Id. Dis. aquat. Org., 85, 31–
40.
Carstens, E.B. (2010). Ratification vote on taxonomic proposals to the
International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2009). Arch. Virol., 155,
133–146.
Dixon, P.F. (2008). Virus diseases of cyprinids. In: Fish Diseases, Vol. 1. Eiras
J.C., Segner H., Wahli, T. & Kapoor, B.G. eds. Science Publishers, Enfield,
New Hampshire, USA, 87–184.
Emmenegger, E.J. & Kurath, G. (2008). DNA vaccine protects ornamental koi
(Cyprinus carpio koi) against North American spring viremia of carp virus.
Vaccine, 26, 6415–6421.

27. References
Fijan, N.; Petrinec, Z.; Sulimanovic, D.; Zwillenberg, L. (1971). Isolation of the
viral causative agent from the acute form of infectious dropsy of carp,
Veterinarski Arhiv 41:125-138.
Haghighi Khiabanian Asl A., Azizzadeh M., Bandehpour M., Sharifnia Z. &
Kazemi B. (2008). The first report of SVC from Indian carp species by PCR
and histopathologic methods in Iran. Pakistan J. Biol. Sci., 11, 2675–2678.
Sano, M., Naki, T. and Fijan, N. (2011) Viral Diseases and Agents of Warm
water Fish. In: Fish Diseases and Disorders, Volume 3: Viral, Bacterial and
Fungal Infections, 2nd edition (eds. Woo, P.T.K. and Bruno, D.W.), CABI,
Wallingford, UK. Pp. 166-244.
Soliman M.K., Aboeisa M.M., Mohamed S.G. & Saleh W.D. (2008). First record
of isolation and identification of spring viraemia of carp virus from
Oreochromis niloticus in Egypt. 8th International Symposium on Tilapia in
Aquaculture 2008, 1287–1306.
Zhang, N.Z.; Zhang, L.F.; Jiang, V.N.; Zhang, T. & Xia, C. (2009). Molecular
analysis of spring viraemia of carp virus in China: A fatal aquatic viral
disease that might spread in East Asian. PLoS ONE, 4, pp 1–9.