Ultraviolet sterilisation of model viruses important to finfish aquaculture in Australia.

Mortalities approaching 100% have been recorded in larval barramundi and cultured rainbow trout. These have been attributed to a picorna-like virus and an iridovirus, respectively. Two Australian-made ultraviolet sterilising units were tested for their effectiveness in inactivating water-suspended model viruses. These were an iridovirus isolated from frogs and a picornavirus, bovine enterovirus, both of similar structure and size to the pathogenic fish viruses. Both viruses were inactivated by both ultraviolet units at a flow rate comparable to that used in nurseries in aquaculture (5000 L/h). With transmittance reduced to 27.7%, the minimum effective dose was 2.6 x 10(4) uW.sec/cm2 for both viruses.