Search

Objectives: This study was to identify and characterize Decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1) in the outbreaks reported in two whiteleg shrimp farms and one black tiger shrimp farm located in northern Taiwan in 2020. Methods: The histopathology, electron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific for the DIV1 were used to identify the virus, and the phylogenetic analysis was performed by comparing the major capsid protein gene fragment of DIV1s from Taiwan with reference sequences of the family Iridoviridae. Results: DIV1 was identified by diagnostic PCR and caused mild mortality (20%) in cultured Penaeus monodon and high mortality (100%) in cultured whiteleg shrimp. Cultured P. monodon was first found to be infected with DIV1 through natural route of infection. Histopathological examination showed dark‐eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions in the degenerative cells of targeted hematopoietic tissues. For electron microscopy, a non‐enveloped virus particle was observed from homogenates of mixed target organs through negative staining with a diameter of 112±2 nm. Nucleotide sequences of DIV1 isolates from the Taiwanese outbreak are 100% identical to those from the PRC. Conclusions: Based on the clinical evidence, mortality rates, histopathology, electron microscopy examinations and phylogenetic analysis, it is believed that DIV1 is the causative agent of the outbreak. This is the first report of DIV1 in cultured shrimp in Taiwan. The emergence of DIV1 signals a warning to shrimp aquaculture farmers worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penaeid shrimp aquaculture is impacted by various diseases. However, most published studies on physiological responses to pathogens have focused on the changes in one or two tissues of shrimp infected by a single pathogen, or the effects of two pathogens infecting the shrimp in a single tissue. There has been limited systematic examination on the similarities and differences of immune responses in multiple tissues under various pathogen infection. Here, the transcriptomic changes of three immune tissues (gill, hepatopancreas and hemocytes) under the infection of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), Vibrio parahaemolyticus acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (VPAHPND), and decapod iridovirus 1 (DIV1) were examined to provide new insights regarding the immune responses of the most important cultured shrimp, Penaeus vannamei. The results showed tissue-specific differences in the immune responses of shrimp tissues. The significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in gill are mainly related to environmental information processing and cellular processes. The DEGs in hemocytes are mostly involved in cellular processes, while those in hepatopancreas are primarily associated with metabolism. In addition, cytoskeleton-related proteins, MAPK signaling pathway, complement and coagulation level pathway, and thermogenesis may play key roles in the shrimp–pathogen interactions across tissues. These findings shed light on the typical immune responses of Penaeus vannamei under the infection of pathogens and contribute to the sustainable development of penaeid shrimp farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few years, outbreaks of infections with infectious precocious virus (IPV) and Decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1) have significantly hindered the development of the aquaculture industry of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and caused severe economic losses in China. To understand the epidemiological information of farmed M. rosenbergii , we collected 79 samples from 23 farming ponds in Jiangsu Province from 2022 to 2023 and detected 8 common pathogens. The results showed that IPV and DIV1 could be detected in collected samples. Infections with IPV or DIV1 and the resulting diseases were confirmed by clinical signs, histopathologic examination, and qPCR. At the same time, we found coinfection with IPV and DIV1 in the same individuals by clinical diagnosis, histopathologic examination, and molecular testing. However, iron prawn syndrome (IPS) or IPS equivale and clinical infection with DIV1 (iDIV1) cases showed mutual exclusion in individuals and ponds. The results revealed significant differences in loads of the two viruses in the same individuals and ponds, with an overall negative correlation. This is the first report of coinfection with IPV and DIV1 in farmed M. rosenbergii. • We found the coinfection of DIV1 and IPV in cultured Macrobrachium rosenbergii individuals and ponds. • There was an extremely significant negative correlation between the loads of the two pathogens in individual samples. • IPS or IPS equivocal and clinical iDIV1 cases showed mutual exclusion in individuals and ponds. • There was no significant difference in IPV load between IPS symptomatic and IPS equivocal samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, ridgetail white prawns—Exopalaemon carinicauda—were infected per os (PO) with debris of Penaeus vannamei infected with shrimp hemocyte iridescent virus (SHIV 20141215), a strain of decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1), and via intramuscular injection (IM with raw extracts of SHIV 20141215. The infected E. carinicauda showed obvious clinical symptoms, including weakness, empty gut and stomach, pale hepatopancreas, and partial death with mean cumulative mortalities of 42.5% and 70.8% by nonlinear regression, respectively. Results of TaqMan probe-based real-time quantitative PCR showed that the moribund and surviving individuals with clinical signs of infected E. carinicauda were DIV1-positive. Histological examination showed that there were darkly eosinophilic and cytoplasmic inclusions, of which some were surrounded with or contained tiny basophilic staining, and pyknosis in hemocytes in hepatopancreatic sinus, hematopoietic cells, cuticular epithelium, etc. On the slides of in situ DIG-labeling-loop-mediated DNA amplification (ISDL), positive signals were observed in hematopoietic tissue, stomach, cuticular epithelium, and hepatopancreatic sinus of infected prawns from both PO and IM groups. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of ultrathin sections showed that icosahedral DIV1 particles existed in hepatopancreatic sinus and gills of the infected E. carinicauda from the PO group. The viral particles were also observed in hepatopancreatic sinus, gills, pereiopods, muscles, and uropods of the infected E. carinicauda from the IM group. The assembled virions, which mostly distributed along the edge of the cytoplasmic virogenic stromata near cellular membrane of infected cells, were enveloped and approximately 150 nm in diameter. The results of molecular tests, histopathological examination, ISDL, and TEM confirmed that E. carinicauda is a susceptible host of DIV1. This study also indicated that E. carinicauda showed some degree of tolerance to the infection with DIV1 per os challenge mimicking natural pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrobrachium rosenbergii is a valuable freshwater prawn in Asian aquaculture. In recent years, a new symptom that was generally called "white head" has caused high mortality in M. rosenbergii farms in China. Samples of M. rosenbergii, M. nipponense, Procambarus clarkii, M. superbum, Penaeus vannamei, and Cladocera from a farm suffering from white head in Jiangsu Province were collected and analyzed in this study. Pathogen detection showed that all samples were positive for Decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1). Histopathological examination revealed dark eosinophilic inclusions and pyknosis in hematopoietic tissue, hepatopancreas, and gills of M. rosenbergii and M. nipponense. Blue signals of in situ digoxigenin-labeled loop-mediated isothermal amplification appeared in hematopoietic tissue, hemocytes, hepatopancreatic sinus, and antennal gland. Transmission electron microscopy of ultrathin sections showed a large number of DIV1 particles with a mean diameter about 157.9 nm. The virogenic stromata and budding virions were observed in hematopoietic cells. Quantitative detection with TaqMan probe based real-time PCR of different tissues in naturally infected M. rosenbergii showed that hematopoietic tissue contained the highest DIV1 load with a relative abundance of 25.4 ± 16.9%. Hepatopancreas and muscle contained the lowest DIV1 loads with relative abundances of 2.44 ± 1.24% and 2.44 ± 2.16%, respectively. The above results verified that DIV1 is the pathogen causing white head in M. rosenbergii. M. nipponense and Pr. clarkii are also species susceptible to DIV1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]