The first molecular confirmation of cyprinid herpesvirus 1 (CyHV1) in diseased carp in Serbia

Mass mortality of farmed 1 yr old common carp Cyprinus carpio occurred at a carp farm in April 2022. In addition to high mortality, diseased fish exhibited papillomatous growths on the skin and fins, characteristic of carp pox. To investigate a possible viral cause, tissue samples were collected and nucleic acid was extracted using standard procedures. In a pooled sample from the gills and kidneys, carp edema virus (CEV) was detected by real-time PCR. In a skin tissue sample with papillomatous growths, cyprinid herpesvirus 1 (CyHV1) was detected by a conventional PCR targeting a conserved region of the DNA polymerase of cyprinid herpesviruses. PCR products were visualized through agarose gel electrophoresis, and the presence of CyHV1 DNA was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. This represents the first molecular confirmation of CyHV1 in common carp in Serbia.