2000년 4월경부터 (수온7-13℃) 우리나라 동해안과 남해안 육상 수조에서 사육되던 넙치에서 체색흑화, 복수저류, 비장종대의 육안적 소견을 보이는 질병이 발생하여 대량폐사를 불러왔다. 병리조직학적 소견으로, 비장과 신장의 조혈조직에서 괴사병변이 주로 나타났다. 비장과 신장의 간질조직에서 괴사소가 관찰되었으며, 임파구, 괴사세포의 침윤이 나타났다. 비장 조직의 전자현미경적 관찰에서 변성혈구 내 세포질에서 탄환형의 바이러스 입자가 관찰되었는데 직경과 길이가 각각 약 50nm, 170nm였다. 이상의 결과로 본 질병은 rhabdovirus에 의한 질병으로 판단되었다.

On April of 2000 and February of 2001, a disease characterized by darkening, ascites and enlargement of the spleen occurred in flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, farmed near northern and eastern coasts of Korea. Various degree of necrosis including liquefactive-type was observed mainly in hemopoietic tissue of spleen and kindney. Certain tissue such as branchial soft tissue including epithelium showed a similar necrotic findings. But some tissues such as intentine had several necrotic clusters of wandering cells, being possibly leukocytes. Necrotic evidences of blood cells were evident in various tissues including hemopoietic tissues. Necrobiotic bodies were frequently encountered in blood smear preparations. Bullet type-virious were detected in the spleenic cells. Each virion was about 500 nm in diameter and 170nm in length. From these results, this disease was thought to be a rhabdoviral disease.