Salmon gill poxvirus

A method for detecting a Piscine poxvirus in a tissue sample isolated from fish, said method comprising:

• a) contacting said sample with a nucleic acid primer and/or probe, wherein said nucleic acid primer and/or probe specifically binds to a nucleic acid consisting of 18 to 100 consecutive nucleic acid bases of a nucleic acid sequence according to any one of SEQ ID NO:1-9, or a sequence complementary thereto, wherein said nucleic acid primer and/or probe comprises a label selected from the group consisting of a radioactive label, a fluorescent label, a chemiluminescent label, an enzyme substrate, and an enzyme molecule;
• and
• b) detecting the formation of a complex between said nucleic acid and said probe or primer, wherein the presence of said complex indicates the presence of a Piscine poxvirus specific nucleic acid in said sample.

A composition comprising a first isolated nucleic acid molecule consisting of 18 to 100 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO:1-9 or a nucleic acid sequence complementary to said nucleic acid sequence, wherein said nucleic acid molecule is a nucleic acid probe comprising a label selected from the group consisting of a radioactive label, a fluorescent label, a chemiluminescent label, an enzyme substrate, and an enzyme molecule;

• and a second isolated nucleic acid comprising a primer consisting of 18 to 100 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleic acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO:1-9, or a sequence complementary thereto.