Walleyes Stizostedion vitreum were challenged with a topical application of a dilution series of cell-free dermal sarcoma tumor filtrates to determine the minimum dose of virus needed to induce these walleye tumors. A series of six 10-fold dilutions of the filtrate were applied to the side of the fish, which were allowed to develop grossly visible tumors at 15°C for 20 weeks. Quantification of the virus in the filtrates was accomplished by quantitative (real-time) reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. We determined that there are approximately 10(10) viral RNA copies in 100 μL of walleye dermal sarcoma inoculum. The minimum dose of walleye dermal sarcoma virus that could induce tumors by the topical challenge method was the 1,000-fold dilution of this 10(10) inoculum, or approximately 10(7) viral RNA copies.