Fish rhabdovirus as a model to study the mechanisms affecting genetic variations and evolution of RNA viruses

RNA viruses evolve quickly, thus making them useful to test concepts and theoretical predictors of molecular evolution. The goal of this research is to use a fish rhabdovirus (spring viremic carp virus, SVCV) as a model system to better understand the mechanisms affecting the genetic variation and evolution of RNA viruses. Fish viruses are a unique model system to study because of the fish host, waterborne transmission, genetic conservativeness and lower temperature requirement needed for replication in-vitro and in-vivo fish. Fish rhabdovirus is more feasible to study because fish hosts can more easily be used in larger population than mammalian hosts. This study will determine the levels of genetic variation within the geographical range of SVCV and the environmental conditions affecting SVCV genetic diversity and evolution. The significance of this research is to provide a greater understanding on the diversity, evolution and virulence affecting fish rhabdoviruses.