Objective Salmon pancreas disease (SPD) and sleeping disease (SD) are emerging diseases of farmed salmon fish, that are caused by closely related, recently characterised alpha viruses. Due to the lack of diagnostics, the prevalences of these diseases are unknown but each is thought to be greatly under diagnosed. The primary aim of this project is to develop sensitive, specific, and easy-to-use diagnostic tests for SPD and SD. The project exploits recently acquired knowledge concerning the molecular characterisation of the viruses, to enable the production of improved reagents with which tests for detecting viral antigens and RNA in tissue samples, and virus-specific antibodies in fish sera, can be developed. Sensitive immunohistochemical and in site hybridisation methods will be used to improve the understanding of the pathogeneses of these diseases. Epidemiological aspects will also be studied by investigating the prevalence of infection using serological surveys of salmon and marine fish, by investigating the genetic diversity of virus isolates detected byre -PCR, and by investigating possible sources of infection. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirologymedical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthepidemiologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsRNA Programme(s) FP5-LIFE QUALITY - Specific Programme for research, technological development and demonstration on "Quality of life and management of living resources", 1998-2002 Topic(s) 1.1.1.-2. - Key action Control of Infectious Diseases Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST Address Stoney road , stormont BT4 3SD Belfast United Kingdom See on map EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (4) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all AGENCE FRANCAISE DE SECURITE SANITAIRE DES ALIMENTS France EU contribution € 0,00 Address Technopole brest-iroise 29280 Plouzane See on map INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE France EU contribution € 0,00 Address Domaine de vilvert 78352 Jouy-en-josas See on map INTERVET NORBIO AS Norway EU contribution € 0,00 Address Thormoehlensgate 55 5008 Bergen See on map NORWEGIAN SCHOOL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE Norway EU contribution € 0,00 Address Ullevaalsveien 72 0033 Oslo See on map