Monitoring of Herpesvirus anguillae (HVA) infections in European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.), in northern Germany.

The article cites a research study conducted to analyze Herpesvirus anguillae (HVA) infections in European eel, Anguilla anguilla. It is said that since the early 1980s, European eel numbers have decreased significantly with observed losses in overall recruitment of up to 99%. A Community Action Plan has been proposed by the European Commission for protection and recovery of the severely depleted European eel stock. The Community Action Plan aims to reduce anthropogenic mortalities. Because of its high pathogenicity, researchers see HVA as the most significant viral threat to the European eel. As a part of the study, eel samples were taken from five different sample sites in northern Germany between April and October 2006.