Viral Pathogens with Economic Impact in Aquaculture

Intensive fish farming provides an increasing part of the human diet and is a major economic resource in many countries. Keeping a large number of animals together increases the risk of disease outbreaks, including viral infections. This paper aims to provide a general overview of up-to-date information on the most common viral pathogens causing serious economic losses in fish farming, with a focus on the main aquaculture farming species grown in our country: common carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758), European catfish (Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca Linnaeus, 1758), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792), Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt and Ratzeburg, 1833), etc. Despite the lack of sustainable antiviral drugs suitable for aquatic environment, fish farming is a fast-growing economic sector that needs well-thought-out combinations of immunostimulants, antiviral drugs and/or vaccination. Good management practices could reduce the number of viral outbreaks or even provide solid protection against viral diseases and could enhance the sustainable growth of fish farming by contributing to the welfare of wild fish populations.