Innate resistance of New Zealand paua to abalone viral ganglioneuritis

[Display omitted] •AVG caused by HaHV 1 leads to mortality in all abalone species tested to date.•The paua does not present morbidity or mortality after virus challenge.•The paua are highly resistant to virus infection and fully resistant to AVG. The susceptibility of New Zealand paua (Haliotis iris) to infection by abalone herpesvirus (Haliotid herpesvirus 1; HaHV) and to the disease abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) was determined. Infection challenges performed by intra-muscular injection and by immersion in infectious water containing HaHV demonstrated that New Zealand paua were highly resistant to infection by Haliotid herpesvirus 1 and were fully resistant to the disease AVG.