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Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) is an important virus which affects the salmonid aquaculture industry worldwide; therefore, it is important to develop rapid and reliable methods of diagnosis to detect the disease at early stages. Nowadays, RT-qPCR is replacing other methods because it provides additional information on the viral load, which is important to have a better understanding of the virus replication level and of the stage of the infection and its risk level. The main problem stems from the high diversity of this virus, which can compromise the reliability of the diagnosis. In this study, we have designed an RT-qPCR procedure for diagnosis and quantification of IPNV based on a single pair of primers targeted to segment B. The procedure has been validated, in vitro and in vivo, testing two different types of standards against seven reference strains and 23 field isolates from different types. The procedure is reliable for the detection of any type, with a detection limit of 31 TCID 50  mL -1 , 50 pfu mL -1 or 66 RNA copies mL -1 , depending on the standard. All the standard curves showed high reliability (R 2  > 0.95). The results support the high reliability of this new procedure for the diagnosis and quantification of IPNV., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The accurate and fast titration of viruses is a critical step in research laboratories and biotechnology industries. Different approaches are commonly applied which either are time consuming (like the plaque and endpoint dilution assays) or do not ensure quantification of only infective particles (like quantitative real-time PCR). In the last decade, a methodology based on the analysis of infected cells by flow cytometry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) has been reported as a fast and reliable test for the titration of some viruses. However, this technology needs expensive equipment and expert technicians to operate it. Recently, the "lab on a chip" integrated devices have brought about the miniaturization of this equipment, turning this technology into an affordable and easy-to-use alternative to traditional flow cytometry. In the present study, we have designed a microflow cytometry (μFC) procedure for the quantitation of viruses, using the infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) as a model. The optimization of conditions and validation of the method are reported here.

This report describes a viral epidemiological study of wild fish around the Gulf of Cadiz (southwestern Iberian Peninsula) and is focused on infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), and viral nervous necrosis virus (VNNV). One fish species (Chelon labrosus) was sampled inside the gulf, at the mouth of the San Pedro River. Another 29 were sampled, in three oceanographic campaigns, at sites around the Bay of Cadiz. The fish were processed individually and subjected to isolation in cell culture and molecular diagnosis. VHSV was not isolated from any species. Thirteen IPNV-type isolates were obtained from barracuda (Sphyraena sphyraena), axillary seabream (Pagellus acarne), common two-banded seabream (Diplodus vulgaris), common pandora (P. erythrinus), Senegal seabream (D. bellottii), and surmullet (Mullus surmuletus). Six VNNV isolates were obtained from axillary seabream, common pandora, black seabream (Spondyliosoma cantharus), red mullet (Mullet barbatus), Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus), and tub gurnard (Chelidonichtys lucerna). In the river mouth, viruses were detected only after reamplification, obtaining prevalence percentages of IPNV and VNNV (44.4 and 63.0%, respectively) much higher than those observed in the oceanographic campaigns (25.7 and 19.6%, respectively). The opposite results were obtained in the case of VHSV after reamplification: 11.1% in the river mouth and 43.6% in the oceanic locations. Analyzing the results with respect to the proximity of the sampling sites to the coast, an anthropogenic influence on wild fish is suggested and discussed. The type of viruses and the presence of natural reassortants are also discussed., (Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

A virological analysis was conducted on wild eels from the Albufera Lake (Spain). A total of 179 individuals at different growth stages were collected in two different surveys (2004 and 2008). Presence of anguillid herpesvirus (AngHV-1), aquabirnavirus and betanodavirus was confirmed by PCR procedures in both surveys, although the number of detections was clearly higher in 2008 (83% of the eels analysed resulted positive for virus presence). AngHV-1 was the viral agent most frequently detected, followed by aquabirnaviruses. Betanodaviruses were detected by the first time in wild eels, and although the detections were only made by nested PCR, high percentage of positives were achieved. In addition, in 2008, seven aquabirnaviruses were isolated. Phylogenetic analysis performed using partial sequences of both genomic segments of aquabirnaviruses indicated that the seven isolates could be typed as WB (genogroup I) on the basis of segment A sequences, but when segment B was used six of them clustered with C1 strain (genogroup V) and one was typed as Ab (genogroup II). These results indicate natural reassortment between different strains of aquabirnaviruses in the eels. Although betanodaviruses were not isolated in cell culture, the analysis of the sequence of the nested PCR product indicated that they clustered with SJNNV genotype. The diversity of viral agents and the high level of viral detections suggest that viral infections may play a more prominent role in the decline of the European eel than initially thought., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), a member of the Rhabdoviridae family, is a major viral pathogen of cultured salmonid fish, and also infects a wide range of marine fish species. In the present study, two real time PCR protocols (based on SYBR Green and TaqMan) were developed for the detection of strains belonging to all known genotypes of VHSV. Validation of the procedure, in terms of sensitivity, specificity and repeatability/reproducibility (R&R), was also performed. For this purpose, several pairs of primer amplifying regions corresponding to viral G and N genes were assayed. In the SYBR Green-based real time PCR, these primers failed to detect strains from some of the genotypes and/or showed low R&R. In order to improve the detection capacity, a multiplex procedure was designed, which enabled detection of all strains, with high R&R. The sensitivity of the procedure was measured, and a detection limit of 1 fg/microl of viral RNA or 10 copies of cloned plasmid was established. On the other hand, the TaqMan probe-based multiplex real time PCR detected all European strains, with similar levels of sensitivity and R&R, but failed to detect the American types.

In this study, we report the sequencing of the whole genome [including the 5' and 3' non-coding regions (NCR) of both segments A and B] of seven birnavirus strains isolated from wild fish from the Flemish Cap (FC) fishery at Newfoundland, Canada. From analysis and comparison of the sequences, most of the FC isolates clustered with the North American reference strains West Buxton (WB), Dry Mill and Jasper. One strain was included in the same genotype as the European strain Ab. In addition, at least in one case cohabitation of both type strains in an individual fish was demonstrated. These results clearly suggest the acquisition of the viruses from two different sources. The prevalence of the American type is easily explained by the close proximity of this fishing bank to the American coast whereas, although surprising, the presence of the European type strain could be because of migration of fish from European waters. In one strain, segment A and B sequences were typed differently (WB and Ab, respectively). These findings indicate natural reassortment between two strains of aquabirnaviruses in a host.

Betanodaviruses are the causative agents of viral nervous necrosis (VNN) or viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER) in cultured marine fish. Based on the RNA2 gene fish nodaviruses have been traditionally classified into four different genotypes and recently a fifth genotype has been proposed. This study presents sequencing data of 24 new nodaviruses obtained from three different fish species: sea bass, Dicentrarchux labrax (L.), sea bream, Sparus aurata L., and Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis Kaup, cultured in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Sequence analysis was performed on the T4 region (388 nt) of the coat protein gene. In addition, phylogenetic analysis, according to maximum parsimony and neighbour-joining methods, was performed using these sequences and other nucleotide sequences available in the databases or in the literature. Results obtained indicate that all these new nodaviruses should be classified into the striped jack nervous necrosis virus (SJNNV) genotype. This finding suggests that SJNNV genotype is emerging in the Iberian Peninsula and could easily spread throughout the Mediterranean, representing a serious threat to the fish farming industry.

A non-destructive procedure was utilized to determine the infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) status of an apparently healthy turbot broodstock. Blood samples were used to detect IPNV by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Southern blot hybridization and nested PCR. In addition, viral isolation from turbot leucocytes was performed. Around 22% of the fish were IPNV positive by RT-PCR, and this increased to close to 60% when nested PCR was performed. The present report supports the use of blood samples for the detection of IPNV-like viruses in brood fish. In addition, we demonstrate that it is possible to isolate the virus from the blood of carrier fish, as a non-lethal detection method, although it is much less sensitive than RT-PCR and nested PCR as a IPNV-like strain was isolated from only five of the 15 blood sample pools assayed. The viral isolate was identified as type Dry Mills (genogroup I) by means of restriction fragment length polymorphisms and DNA sequencing.

Reference strains of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus resembling the 10 recognized serotypes and local isolates of aquabirnaviruses isolated in northwestern Spain from reservoirs (mollusks) and from asymptomatic and carrier cultured fish were genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and nucleic acid sequence analyses. The RFLP analysis yielded seven genogroups, each of which was clearly correlated with a serotype. Sequence analysis of the three open reading frames provided quite similar results in terms of genogrouping. Based on the results of this study and in order to unify the two types of assays, we propose placing aquabirnaviruses into six genogroups, four of which can be subdivided into two genotypes based on a two-step restriction analysis. The genotyping corresponds with serotyping as follows: genogroup I includes two genotypes corresponding to serotypes A9 (genotype I.1) and A1 (genotype I.2); genogroup II corresponds to serotype A3; genogroup III includes genotypes III.1 (serotype A2) and III.2 (serotype B1); genogroups IV and V include two genotypes, each corresponding to serotypes A5, A6, A7, and A8 (genotypes IV.1, IV.2, V.1, and V.2, respectively);and genogroup VI corresponds to serotype A4. As expected, most local isolates belonged to genotype III.1 and genogroup II. However, a few local isolates corresponded to the American types of genogroup I. Finally, based on the results of this study and due to its simplicity, the two-step restriction analysis assay is proposed as a method for typing new isolates of aquabirnaviruses, and the results correspond to the results of conventional serotyping.

Vibrio anguillarum and Pasteurella piscicida are Gram-negative bacteria which are pathogenic for marine fish and we report here the first successful transformation of these two bacteria by electroporation. The optimal conditions for electroporation included a field strength of 12.5 kV cm-1 and a time constant of 5 ms using 0.2-cm cuvettes. With these parameters, three plasmids (pSU2718, pCML, pEV3) with molecular sizes of 2.6, 5 and 13.7 kb, respectively were successfully transformed into both pathogens. V. anguillarum isolates belonging to serotypes O1 and O2 were transformed with greatest efficiency, 2.5 x 10(3) transformants per micrograms DNA, being achieved in the serotype O2 strains using plasmid pCML. Strains of serotype O3 were not transformed. In the case of P. piscicida the maximum efficiency achieved was 9.8 x 10(2) transformants per micrograms pCML plasmid DNA. This optimized system will allow development of procedures for the genetic manipulation of these pathogens.

In this study, the phenotypic, antigenic, and virulence characteristics of 32 Citrobacter freundii strains of fish, human, and veterinary origin were comparatively analyzed. In addition, the spread of drug resistance factors by conjugation was investigated. Regardless of the source of isolation, the strains exhibited variable reactions mainly for arginine dihydrolase, ornithine decarboxylase, and fermentation of sucrose, melibiose, amygdalin, and salicin. Total fatty acid methyl ester analysis by gas chromatography proved to be useful for an intratypic differentiation within the C. freundii strains studied. In fact, although all of the isolates exhibited similar fatty acid methyl ester profiles, significant differences in the major fatty acids 16:1 and 16:0 and in the 17:0 delta region were observed between the isolates from salmonids and the remaining strains. Serological studies using agglutination tests, analysis of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and the corresponding immunoblots with 13 antisera indicated a great antigenic diversity among the strains. Common LPS patterns were shared only by some isolates showing high cross-agglutination titers. In contrast, although all strains exhibited very similar surface protein patterns, only two common outer membrane proteins of 54 and 58 kDa were immunologically related. Infectivity trials performed in mice and rainbow trout indicated that all of the C. freundii strains were not pathogenic for mice (50% lethal dose of > 5 x 10(7)). Although the isolates displayed a low degree of virulence for trout, inoculated strains were always recovered from the survivors in pure culture.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Yersinia ruckeri, a fish pathogenic bacterium in aquaculture, was used to evaluate the electroporation as a new transformation method for this species. DNA used for the electrotransformation were plasmids of molecular mass ranging from 2.3 kb to 33 kb, and diverse replicons. To optimize this method we used Y. ruckeri 11.29 strain (from serotype 02) and pSU2718 DNA. The best transformation efficiency (6.0 x 10(5) transformants/micrograms DNA) was obtained with 12.5 kV/cm, 25 microF, 400 omega and 2 hours of incubation after pulse. When these conditions were applied to other strains belonging to different serotypes and other plasmids, we obtained transformants in all strains assayed, but only when using low molecular weight plasmids. Plasmid vectors and resident plasmid were not modified in host strains after electrotransformation. In studies of conformation we confirmed that only circular DNA was able for transformation. The utilization of this technique for direct cloning in Y. ruckeri makes possible further studies on recombinant DNA.