Survival of koi herpesvirus (KHV) in environmental water

The survivability of koi herpesvirus (KHV) in environmental water and sediment was evaluated using CCB cells. Samples were collected from Ibaraki prefecture, Kanagawa prefecture and Hakodate, Hokkaido. Significant reduction in the infectious titer of KHV was observed within 3 days in intact environmental water or sediment. However, KHV infectivity remained for more than 7 days in autoclaved or filtered (0.45 mu m) water. In the autoclaved water containing sediment, KHV infectivity dropped below detectable limits within 7 days after inoculation. Ten of the 147 bacterial strains from rivers in Kanagawa, and two of the 62 bacterial strains from water from, Hakodate showed anti-KHV properties. The results suggest that in the absence of hosts, KHV can be rapidly inactivated in environmental water.