ABSTRACT
Channel catfish virus disease (CCVD) is an acute, highly communicable infection of cultured fry and fingerling channel catfish that was first reported by N. N. Fijan in 1968. Clinical signs of Channel catfish virus (CCV) vary among diseased fish and some or all of the following may be present: distension of the abdomen due to the accumulation of a clear straw-colored fluid in the peritoneal cavity, exophthalmia, pale or hemorrhagic gills, hemorrhage or erythemic areas at the base of fins and throughout the skin. Histopathological changes are similar in both natural and experimental CCV infections. Renal hematopoietic tissue is edematous and has extensive necrosis and cellular dissolution, coupled with an increase in macrophages. The liver develops regional edema, necrosis, and hemorrhage, and hepatic cells have eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions. The potential effects of CCVD on the channel catfish industry are great due to the exceptionally high mortality among young-of-the-year channel catfish.
