First detection of <i>Cyclopterus lumpus</i> virus in England, following a mortality event in farmed cleaner fish

Lumpfish are used routinely as cleaner fish to delouse farmed Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) and often translocated globally. In September 2021, an aquaculture production business in Dorset, England experienced considerable mortalities consignments of lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus imported from Norway. Following suspicion infection with virus (CLuV) by a veterinarian, commercial testing provided presumptive confirmation CLuV using reverse-transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-rPCR). Affected were later resampled the Centre Environment, Fisheries, Aquaculture Science, Fish Health Inspectorate for screening RT-rPCR, conventional RT-PCR sequence analysis. Additional samples tested isolation viruses on cell cultures, bacteriology, histopathology, PCR/rPCR techniques investigate whether other pathogens concern industry also present. All negative presence viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus, infectious haematopoietic necrosis , nervous pancreatic anaemia ranavirus, salmonid alphavirus. Four pools ten positive RT-rPCR (Ct values between 19 29) was confirmed RT-PCR. Sequence analysis showed that amplicons shared 99.63 % match published sequences CLuV. The has only recently been reported aquatic animals its full impact is not yet known. To best our knowledge this first report England.