Zebrafish are not only a common research model but also a popular pet fish. Laboratory-bred zebrafish have well-characterized associated microbes. Pet shop zebrafish are frequently used in the laboratory setting. However, given that their associated microbes are still uncharacterized, the ramifications of introducing them to a laboratory environment are unknown. A study in PLOS Biology identifies a new birnavirus that, while being asymptomatic in pet zebrafish, is highly transmissible and pathogenic in laboratory-reared zebrafish. Analysis of intestinal RNA showed the presence of birnavirus only in the pet shop zebrafish groups. When cohousing pet zebrafish with laboratory zebrafish in a closed circulation system, the laboratory fish had a hemorrhagic disease and tissue samples showed the presence of the birnavirus, while pet individuals looked healthy. These results suggest that different monitoring routines for zebrafish colony health should be used depending on the origin of the fish, given that different associated microbes can be transmitted and have different pathogenies.

Original reference: Rice, M. C. et al. PLoS Biol. 22, e3002606 (2024)

斑马鱼不仅是常见的研究模型，也是受欢迎的观赏鱼。实验室饲养的斑马鱼具有特征明确的相关微生物。宠物店斑马鱼经常在实验室环境中使用。然而，鉴于它们相关的微生物仍然未知，将它们引入实验室环境的后果尚不清楚。 《PLOS Biology》的一项研究发现了一种新的双病毒，虽然在宠物斑马鱼中没有症状，但在实验室饲养的斑马鱼中具有高度传播性和致病性。肠道 RNA 分析表明，仅在宠物店斑马鱼群体中存在双RNA病毒。当将宠物斑马鱼与实验室斑马鱼放在封闭循环系统中时，实验室鱼患有出血性疾病，组织样本显示存在双RNA病毒，而宠物个体看起来很健康。这些结果表明，考虑到不同的相关微生物可以传播并具有不同的病原体，应根据鱼的来源采用不同的斑马鱼群体健康监测程序。

原始参考文献： Rice, MC et al.公共科学图书馆·生物学。 22 、e3002606 (2024)