Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies recognize antigenic variants among isolates of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus

Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies were developed against strains of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) from steelhead trout Salmo gairdneri in the Deschutes River of Oregon, chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Sacramento River of California, and rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri reared in the Hagerman Valley of Idaho, USA. These antibodies were tested for neutralization of 12 IHNV isolates obtained from salmonids in Japan, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho. The antibodies recognized antigenic variants among the isolates and could be used to separate the viruses into 4 groups. The members of each group tended to be related by geographic area rather than by source host species, virulence, or date of isolation.