Introduction
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) is one of the most serious
viral diseases in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in continental
European countries [1] and has been reported in several
other marine and freshwater fish species worldwide [2]. Moreover,
VHS is listed as a notifiable disease by the World Organization for
Animal Health (OIE) [3]. The causative agent of VHS, the VHS virus