CMS
Viral
🟠 Severe
Cardiomyopathy Syndrome
🦠 Piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV) · Totiviridae
📋 Definition
A chronic cardiomyopathy of large sea-water farmed Atlantic salmon caused by PMCV, characterised by progressive degeneration of the heart spongy layer.
📊 Key Facts
Causative Agent
Piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV)
Onset to Peak
months (chronic)
Geographic Range
Norway, Scotland
Transmission Routes
Horizontal, water-borne
Primary Host
Atlantic Salmon (large sea-water fish)
Vaccine
✗ None / Experimental
🩺 Clinical Signs
Sudden death in large fish, pale/swollen heart, haemorrhage in pericardium, ascites, liver congestion.
🔬 Symptoms
🔬
Sudden death
Systemic Acute
🔬
Cardiac degeneration
Circulatory Chronic
🔬
Pericardial haemorrhage
Circulatory Acute
🔬
Ascites
Abdominal Subacute
🧪 Diagnosis
Histopathology (cardiomyocyte necrosis), RT-PCR for PMCV.
💊 Treatment
⚠️ No universally approved treatment is currently available. The information below covers supportive care and experimental approaches.
No treatment. Avoid crowding and handling of affected fish.
🛡️ Prevention
ℹ️ Prevention is the most effective strategy for managing this disease in aquaculture and aquarium settings.
No vaccine. Minimise stress in large pre-harvest fish.