The Laboratory for Fish Virology focusses on diagnostics of viral fish pathogens. In addition to the causative agents of notifiable diseases, such as Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis (IHN ) and Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (VHS ), emphasis is laid on non-notifiable fish diseases. To ensure efficient diagnostics of these pathogens diagnostic detection methods are established and optimized. The pathogen spectrum includes e.g. representants of Rhabdoviridae, Birnaviridae, Nodaviridae, Picornaviridae, Togaviridae, Iridoviridae, and Alloherpesviridae.
In cooperation with the Laboratories for Electron Microscopy and for NGS and Microarray Diagnosti cs unknown pathogens are identified and characterized (e.g. Coronaviridae) with the aim to develop diagnostic methods for detection of these pathogens.
Among others, the method spectrum includes virus isolation in cell culture followed by confirmation methods, genome detection methods, and different molecular biological techniques.