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Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) severely and lethally infects salmonid fish, including Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) worldwide. Rapid and accurate viral detection is crucial for preventing pathogen spread and minimizing damage. Although several IHNV detection assays have been developed, their analytical and diagnostic performances have not been evaluated and field usability assessments have not been completely validated. Here, we developed a reverse-transcription cross-priming amplification-based lateral flow assay (RT-CPA-LFA) and validated its diagnostic performance. To detect the IHNV, primers were designed based on the consensus sequence of the nucleocapsid (N) gene. Notably, when combined with a lateral flow dipstick, it could visualize the IHNV amplification products within 5 min and the detection limit of the developed RT-CPA-LFA was 3.28×10 5 copies/μL. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in fish samples (n=140) were 98.88 % and 96.08 %, respectively. Moreover, the IHNV detection rate by RT-CPA-LFA in dead rainbow trout artificially injected with the virus was 100 %, consistent with to the results obtained from second conventional and real-time PCR, indicating its applicability for rapid IHNV detection and presumptive IHN diagnosis during the endemic period., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The author declares no conflicts of interest, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pacific pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) were deliberately introduced to rivers surrounding the White Sea and has spread to Norway and several other countries surrounding the North Atlantic Ocean. In August 2021, a female pink salmon displaying pale gills and abnormal behaviour was captured in River Lakselva in Northern Norway and later submitted to the Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI) for post-mortem examination. Histological examination of organ samples revealed structures indicative of systemic ichthyophoniasis, caused by Ichthyophonus sp. The parasites appeared to be especially abundant in the heart and skeletal musculature, and local tissue responses were assessed to be absent or very mild. Sequences of the ribosomal 18S rRNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) genes confirmed the diagnosis and identified the pathogen as Ichthyophonus sp. The CO1 sequence further established that the isolate from pink salmon was most similar to sequences of Ichthyophonus sp. from Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the US and from Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus, from Iceland. We here report the first detection of Ichthyophonus sp. in pink salmon in the North Atlantic Ocean., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Fish Diseases published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Koi(Cyprinus carpio) is an ornamental variety of common carp frequently kept as pets. Given their long lifespan, neoplasia, albeit uncommon, may occur in these animals, and only a few studies have faced their cytological diagnosis. In the present case, a koi carp was referred to the clinicians due to coelomic swelling. The carp underwent surgery, which revealed an enlargement of both testes. Testicular samples were cytologically and histologically examined. The lesion was diagnosed as a seminoma since it was composed of round, large, atypical, and often multinucleated cells with round central nuclei and moderate cytoplasm. These tumors had the same appearance as seminomas in mammals and should be considered among differential diagnoses when coelomic swelling occurs in koi carp. Seminomas in koi carp are diagnosed histologically, but cytology, a rapid and cheap exam executable in all veterinary clinical facilities, could be a relevant preliminary diagnostic tool that may influence the entire diagnostic process., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Both Klebsiella pneumoniae and Chryseobacterium cause an increasing number of diseases in fish, resulting in great economic losses in aquaculture. In addition, the disease infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae or Chryseobacterium exhibited the similar clinical symptoms in aquatic animals. However, there is no effective means for the simultaneous detection of co-infection and discrimination them for these two pathogens. Here, we developed a duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method based on the outer membrane protein A ( ompA ) gene of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Chryseobacterium . The specificity and validity of the designed primers were confirmed experimentally using simplex PCR. The expected amplicons for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Chryseobacterium had a size of 663 and 1404 bp, respectively. The optimal condition for duplex PCR were determined to encompass a primer concentration of 0.5 μM and annealing temperature of 57°C. This method was analytical specific with no amplification being observed from the genomic DNA of Escherichia coli , Vibrio harveyi , Pseudomonas plecoglossicida , Aeromonas hydrophila and Acinetobacter johnsonii . The limit of detection was estimated to be 20 fg of genomic DNA for Chryseobacterium and 200 fg for Klebsiella pneumoniae , or 100 colony-forming units (CFU) of bacterial cells in both cases. The duplex PCR was capable of simultaneously amplifying target fragments from genomic DNA extracted from the bacteria and fish liver. For practical validation of the method, 20 diseased fish were collected from farms, among which 4 samples were PCR-positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Chryseobacterium . The duplex PCR method developed here is time-saving, specific, convenient, and may prove to be an invaluable tool for molecular detection and epidemiological investigation of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Chryseobacterium in the field of aquaculture.

In this issue, we established rapid, cost-effective, and simple detection methods including recombines polymerase amplification with lateral flow dipstick (RPA-LFD) and real-time RPA for cyprinid herpesvirus 3(CyHV-3), and evaluated their sensitivity, specificity, and applicability, the real-time RPA method could achieve sensitive diagnosis of CyHV-3 within 1.3 copies per reaction, respectively. The real-time RPA method is 10-fold more sensitive than RPA-LFD method. The exact number of CyHV-3 can be calculated in each sample by real-time RPA. The sera from koi also can be tested in these methods. In addition, no cross-reaction was observed with other related pathogens, including carp oedema virus (CEV), spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV), cyprinid herpesvirus 1(CyHV-1), cyprinid herpesvirus 2(CyHV-2), type I grass carp reovirus (GCRV-I), type II GCRV (GCRV-II), type III GCRV (GCRV-III), and Aeromonas hydrophila., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Viral outbreaks are a constant threat to aquaculture, limiting production for better global food security. A lack of diagnostic testing and monitoring in resource-limited areas hinders the capacity to respond rapidly to disease outbreaks and to prevent viral pathogens becoming endemic in fisheries productive waters. Recent developments in diagnostic testing for emerging viruses, however, offers a solution for rapid in situ monitoring of viral outbreaks. Genomic epidemiology has furthermore proven highly effective in detecting viral mutations involved in pathogenesis and assisting in resolving chains of transmission. Here, we demonstrate the application of an in-field epidemiological tool kit to track viral outbreaks in aquaculture on farms with reduced access to diagnostic labs, and with non-destructive sampling. Inspired by the "lab in a suitcase" approach used for genomic surveillance of human viral pathogens and wastewater monitoring of COVID19, we evaluated the feasibility of real-time genome sequencing surveillance of the fish pathogen, Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) in Lake Volta. Viral fractions from water samples collected from cages holding Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) with suspected ongoing ISKNV infections were concentrated and used as a template for whole genome sequencing, using a previously developed tiled PCR method for ISKNV. Mutations in ISKNV in samples collected from the water surrounding the cages matched those collected from infected caged fish, illustrating that water samples can be used for detecting predominant ISKNV variants in an ongoing outbreak. This approach allows for the detection of ISKNV and tracking of the dynamics of variant frequencies, and may thus assist in guiding control measures for the rapid isolation and quarantine of infected farms and facilities., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2024 Alathari et al.)

The guppy, Poecilia reticulata, is one of the most common cultured ornamental fish species, and a popular pet fish highly desired by hobbyists worldwide due to its availability of many brilliantly coloured fish of many varieties. The susceptibility of guppies to diseases presents a remarkable concern for both breeders and hobbyists. In this study, we report the emergence of disease in fancy guppies caused by a previously uncharacterized virus in the USA. This virus was isolated from moribund guppies in two separate outbreaks in California and Alabama, from December 2021 to June 2023. The infected guppies presented with acute morbidity and mortality shortly after shipping, displaying nonspecific clinical signs and gross changes including lethargy, anorexia, swimming at the water surface, gill pallor, mild to moderate coelomic distension and occasional skin lesions including protruding scales, skin ulcers and hyperaemia. Histological changes in affected fish were mild and nonspecific; however, liver and testes from moribund fish were positive for Tilapia lake virus (TiLV), the single described member in the family Amnoonviridae, using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, although the latter was weak. A virus was successfully recovered following tissue inoculation on epithelioma papulosum cyprini and snakehead fish cell lines. Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed nucleotide and amino acid homologies from 78.3%-91.2%, and 78.2%-97.7%, respectively, when comparing the guppy virus genomes to TiLV isolates. Based on the criteria outlined herein, we propose the classification of this new virus, fancy tailed guppy virus (FTGV), as a member of the family Amnoonviridae, with the name Tilapinevirus poikilos (from the Greek 'poikilos', meaning of many colours; various sorts, akin to 'poecilia')., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Fish Diseases published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) is a vital marine-cultured species in China. Large yellow croaker iridovirus (LYCIV) can cause a high mortality rate in L. crocea. Rapid and convenient detection of LYCIV is an urgent demand for diagnosis. In this study, rapid and simple recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), real-time RPA and RPA combined with lateral flow dipstick (RPA-LFD) methods were developed for the detection of LYCIV based on the conserved sequence of the LYCIV major capsid protein (MCP) gene. With these optimized RPA analyses, LYCIV detection could be completed within 20 min at 40°C. Both RPA and real-time RPA could detect viral DNA as low as 10 2 copies/μL, while the detection limit of RPA-LFD was 10 1 copies/μL, and there was no cross-reaction with other aquatic pathogens (KHV, CyHV-2, GCRV-JX01, SVCV, LCDV and LMBV). In practical evaluation of RPA, real-time RPA and RPA-LFD methods, the results showed consistency with the general PCR detection. In short, the developed RPA, real-time RPA and RPA-LFD analyses could be simple, rapid, sensitive and reliable methods for field diagnosis of LYCIV infection and have significant potential in the protection of LYCIV infection., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Detection of intestinal parasites in fish typically requires autopsy, resulting in the sacrifice of the fish. Here, we describe a non-lethal method for detecting the tapeworm Eubothrium crassum in fish using anal swabs and real-time PCR detection. Two assays were developed to detect cytochrome oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial DNA and 18S ribosomal DNA sequences of E. crassum, respectively. The assays were tested on swab samples from confirmed pathogen free Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and on samples from farmed Atlantic salmon, where the presence and intensity of parasites had been established through autopsy. The COI assay was shown to be specific to E. crassum, while the 18S assay also amplified the closely related E. salvelini, a species infecting Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) in freshwater. The COI assay detected E. crassum in all field samples regardless of parasite load while the 18S assay failed to detect the parasite in two samples. The results thus demonstrates that this non-lethal approach can effectively detect E. crassum and can be a valuable tool in assessing the prevalence of infection in farmed salmon, aiding in treatment decisions and evaluating treatment effectiveness., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Fish Diseases published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Published information about fish botulism is scant. We review here the current literature on fish botulism. Freshwater fish are susceptible to botulism. Only anecdotal evidence exists about possible botulism cases in saltwater fish. With only a few exceptions, the etiology of all cases of fish botulism reported is Clostridium botulinum type E, although fish are sensitive to, and may carry, various C. botulinum types. Clinical signs of botulism in fish include loss of equilibrium and motion, abducted opercula, open mouths, dark pigmentation, and head up/tail down orientation in which attempts to swim result in breaching the surface of the water. Dark pigmentation is thought to be associated with acetylcholine imbalance in botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT)-affected fish. Rarely, but similar to the situation in other animal species, fish can recover from botulism. Fish botulism can cause secondary outbreaks of the disease in birds, as botulism-affected fish stand out from normal fish, and are selectively preyed upon by fish-eating birds, which thus become intoxicated by the BoNT present in sick fish. The source of BoNT in fish has not been definitively confirmed. Fish may ingest C. botulinum spores that then germinate in their digestive tract, but the possibility that fish ingest preformed BoNT from the environment (e.g., dead fish, shellfish, insects) cannot be ruled out. The presumptive diagnosis of botulism in fish is established based on clinical signs, and as in other species, confirmation should be based on detection of BoNT in intestinal content, liver, and/or serum of affected fish., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Rapid growth in aquaculture has resulted in high-density production systems in ecologically and geographically novel conditions in which the emergence of diseases is inevitable. Well-characterized methods for detection and surveillance of infectious diseases are vital for rapid identification, response, and recovery to protect economic and food security. We implemented a proof-of-concept approach for virus detection using a known high-consequence fish pathogen, infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV), as the archetypal pathogen. In fish infected with ISAV, we integrated histopathology, virus isolation, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), electron microscopy (EM), in situ hybridization (ISH), and reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT-rtPCR). Fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed tissues were collected from virus-infected, control, and sham-infected Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ). Microscopic differences were not evident between uninfected and infected fish. Viral cytopathic effect was observed in cell cultures inoculated with fresh-frozen tissue homogenates from 3 of 3 ISAV-infected and 0 of 4 uninfected or sham-infected fish. The ISAV genome was detected by shotgun metagenomics in RNA extracted from the medium from 3 of 3 inoculated cell cultures, 3 of 3 infected fish, and 0 of 4 uninfected or sham-infected fish, yielding sufficient coverage for de novo assembly. An ISH probe against ISAV revealed ISAV genome in multiple organs, with abundance in renal hematopoietic tissue. Virus was detected by RT-rtPCR in gill, heart, kidney, liver, and spleen. EM and metagenomic WGS from tissues were challenging and unsuccessful. Our proof-of-concept methodology has promise for detection and characterization of unknown aquatic pathogens and also highlights some associated methodology challenges that require additional investigation., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV; Isavirus salaris ) causes an economically important disease of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.). ISA outbreaks have resulted in significant losses of farmed salmon globally, often with a sudden onset. However, 2 phenotypically distinct variants of ISAV exist, each with divergent disease outcomes, associated regulations, and control measures. ISAV-HPRΔ, also known as ISAV-HPR deleted, is responsible for ISA outbreaks; ISAV-HPR0, is avirulent and is not known to cause fish mortality. Current detection methodology requires genetic sequencing of ISAV-positive samples to differentiate phenotypes, which may slow responses to disease management. To increase the speed of phenotypic determinations of ISAV, we developed a new, rapid multiplex RT-qPCR method capable of 1) detecting if a sample contains any form of ISAV, 2) discriminating whether positive samples contain HPRΔ or HPR0, and 3) validating RNA extractions with an internal control, all in a single reaction. Following assay development and optimization, we validated this new multiplex on 31 ISAV strains collected from North America and Europe (28 ISAV-HPRΔ, 3 ISAV-HPR0). Finally, we completed an inter-laboratory comparison of this multiplex qPCR with commercial ISAV testing and found that both methods provided equivalent results for ISAV detection., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Fish health management is critical to aquaculture and fisheries as it directly affects sustainability and productivity. Fish disease diagnosis has taken a massive stride because of advances in immunological and molecular diagnostic tools which provide a sensitive, quick, and accurate means of identifying diseases. This review presents an overview of the main molecular and immunological diagnostic methods for determining the health of fish. The immunological techniques help to diagnose different fish diseases by detecting specific antigens and antibodies. The application of immunological techniques to vaccine development is also examined in this review. The genetic identification of pathogens is made possible by molecular diagnostic techniques that enable the precise identification of bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms in addition to evaluating host reactions and genetic variation associated with resistance to disease. The combination of molecular and immunological methods has resulted in the creation of novel techniques for thorough evaluation of fish health. These developments improve treatment measures, pathogen identification and provide new information about the variables affecting fish health, such as genetic predispositions and environmental stresses. In the framework of sustainable fish farming and fisheries management, this paper focuses on the importance of these diagnostic techniques that play a crucial role in protecting fish populations and the aquatic habitats. This review also examines the present and potential future directions in immunological and molecular diagnostic techniques in fish health., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Eel (Anguilla sp.) is an important freshwater-cultured species with high economic value in China. Anguillid herpesvirus 1 (AngHV-1) has been proven to be the pathogen of "mucus sloughing and haemorrhagic septicaemia disease" in eels, resulting in significant mortality and substantial losses to the eel industry. Current diagnostic methods for detecting AngHV-1 are limited to laboratory-based tests, for example, conventional end-point PCR and qPCR. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an accurate, rapid, and simple detection method for on-site diagnosis of AngHV-1. In this study, we developed a recombinase-aided amplification combined lateral flow dipstick (RAA-LFD) assay for the detection of AngHV-1. The RAA-LFD assay can be performed within a temperature range of 18-45°C, with a reaction time of just 10 min for amplification. Importantly, the established RAA-LFD assay exhibited no reactivity with other common aquatic viral pathogens, indicating its high specificity. The limit of detection for this method is 10 2 copies of AngHV-1, which is more sensitive than the established conventional end-point PCR method similarly targeting ORF95. Clinical detection of the diseased samples demonstrated that the accuracy of RAA-LFD was significantly higher than that of the conventional end-point PCR. In conclusion, the developed RAA-LFD assay has proven to be a convenient, rapid, sensitive, and reliable tool for on-site diagnosis of AngHV-1. This advancement will be invaluable for the prevention and control of AngHV-1 in the eel farming industry., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Epizootics of Koi herpesvirus (KHV) cause mass mortality in koi carp (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) worldwide. Rapid and accurate virus detection technology is crucial for preventing pathogen spread and minimizing damage. Although several diagnostic assays have been developed for KHV, the analytical and diagnostic performance of the detection methods has not been evaluated. In this study, we developed and validated the diagnostic performance of two molecular diagnostic assays, cross-priming amplification-based lateral flow assay (CPA-LFA) and TaqMan probe-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To detect KHV, primers and probe were designed based on the thymidine kinase (TK) genes. The detection limits of developed CPA-LFA and real-time PCR assays were determined to be 675.69 copies/μL and 8.384 copies/μL, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the developed assay were determined using fish samples (n = 179). CPA-LFA was found to be 93.67% and 100%, respectively, and real-time PCR was found to be 100% and 100%, respectively. Therefore, the newly developed CPA-LFA and real-time PCR assays accurately and rapidly detect KHV. CPA-LFA is particularly suitable for point-of-care diagnosis because of its simple diagnostic process, and real-time PCR analysis is most suitable for precise diagnosis because it can detect low viral loads., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The author declares no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sturgeon farming is rapidly expanding in Europe, where Italy ranks first in farmed caviar production. A major threat to sturgeon health in captivity is infection with Acipenser European Iridovirus (AcIV-E), a viral disease definitively identified in 2016. Here we present data on the occurrence of AcIV-E in 482 sturgeons (age ≤ 12 months, species of the genus Acipenser and the species Huso huso ) collected from sturgeon farms in northern Italy between January 2021 and December 2023. The health status of each specimen was determined by necroscopy and virological assay. Virological analysis was performed on gill samples and real-time PCR specific to the MCP gene of the iridovirus viral capsid. Molecular analysis revealed positivity to the virus in 204 samples (42.68% of the total), while anatomopathological examination of nearly all fish with positive real-time PCR disclosed swollen abdomen, hepatic steatosis, splenomegaly, and increased gill volume. Two challenges to timely diagnosis are the absence of pathognomonic symptoms and the inability to isolate the virus on cell monolayers. Continuous and widespread health monitoring is therefore crucial for disease management and to effectively control spread of the virus.

The presence of endogenous viral elements (EVE) in the penaeid shrimp genome has been recently reported and suggested to be involved in the host recognition of viral invaders. Our previous report of a search for EVE of infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV-EVE) in the Thai Penaeus monodon whole genome sequence project (GenBank accession no. JABERT000000000) confirmed the presence of three clusters of EVE derived from IHHNV in the shrimp genome. This study aimed to compare an immunohistochemistry method (IHC) and a PCR method to detect infectious IHHNV infection in shrimp. First, specimens collected from farms were checked for IHHNV using three PCR methods; two methods were recommended by WOAH (309 and 389 methods), and a newly established long-range PCR for IHHNV (IHHNV-LA PCR) targeting almost the whole genome (>90%) of IHHNV. Among 29 specimens tested, 24 specimens were positive for WOAH methods (at least one method). Among 24 WOAH-positive specimens (WOAH+), there were 18 specimens with positive IHHNV-LA PCR method (WOAH+/LA+), six specimens with negative IHHNV-LA PCR method (WOAH+/LA-). Six specimens were negative for all methods (WOAH-/LA-). The positive signals detected by IHC method were found only in the specimens with WOAH+/LA+. The results suggest that the WOAH+/LA- specimens were not infected with IHHNV, and the positive WOAH method might result from the EVE-IHHNV. The study recommends combining the IHHNV-LA PCR method and IHC with positive PCR results from WOAH's recommended methods to confirm IHHNV infection., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Fish Diseases published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Enterospora epinepheli is an intranuclear microsporidian parasite causing serious emaciative disease in hatchery-bred juvenile groupers (Epinephelus spp.). Rapid and sensitive detection is urgently needed as its chronic infection tends to cause emaciation as well as white faeces syndrome and results in fry mortality. This study established a TaqMan probe-based real-time quantitative PCR assays targeting the small subunit rRNA (SSU) gene of E. epinepheli. The relationship between the standard curve of cycle threshold (Ct) and the logarithmic starting quantity (SQ) was determined as Ct = -3.177 lg (SQ) + 38.397. The correlation coefficient (R 2 ) was 0.999, and the amplification efficiency was 106.4%. The detection limit of the TaqMan probe-based qPCR assay was 1.0 × 10 1 copies/μL and that is 100 times sensitive than the traditional PCR method. There is no cross-reaction with other aquatic microsporidia such as Ecytonucleospora hepatopenaei, Nucleospora hippocampi, Potaspora sp., Ameson portunus. The intra-assay and inter-assay showed great repeatability and reproducibility. In addition, the test of clinical samples showed that this assay effectively detected E. epinepheli in the grouper's intestine tissue. The established TaqMan qPCR assays will be a valuable diagnostic tool for the epidemiological investigation as well as prevention and control of E. epinepheli., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The giant freshwater prawn holds a significant position as a valuable crustacean species cultivated in the aquaculture industry, particularly well-known and demanded among the Southeast Asian countries. Aquaculture production of this species has been impacted by Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV) infection, which particularly affects the larvae and post-larvae stages of the prawn. The infection has been recorded to cause mortality rates of up to 100% among the affected prawns. A simple, fast, and easy to deploy on-site detection or diagnostic method is crucial for early detection of MrNV to control the disease outbreak. In the present study, novel single-stranded DNA aptamers targeting the MrNV capsid protein were identified using the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) approach. The aptamer was then conjugated with the citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and the sensitivity of this AuNP-based aptasensor for the detection of MrNV capsid protein was evaluated. Findings revealed that the aptamer candidate, APT-MrNV-CP-1 was enriched throughout the SELEX cycle 4, 9, and 12 with the sequence percentage of 1.76%, 9.09%, and 12.42%, respectively. The conjugation of APT-MrNV-CP-1 with citrate-capped AuNPs exhibited the highest sensitivity in detecting the MrNV capsid protein, where the presence of 62.5 nM of the viral capsid protein led to a significant agglomeration of the AuNPs. This study demonstrated the practicality of an AuNP-based aptasensor for disease diagnosis, particularly for detecting MrNV infection in giant freshwater prawns., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Snakehead vesiculovirus (SHVV) is one of the primary pathogens responsible for viral diseases in the snakehead fish. A TaqMan-based real-time PCR assay was established for the rapid detection and quantification of SHVV in this study. Specific primers and fluorescent probes were designed for phosphoprotein (P) gene, and after optimizing the reaction conditions, the results indicated that the detection limit of this method could reach 37.1 copies, representing a 100-fold increase in detection sensitivity compared to RT-PCR. The specificity testing results revealed that this method exhibited no cross-reactivity with ISKNV, LMBV, RSIV, RGNNV, GCRV, and CyHV-2. Repetition experiments demonstrated that both intra-batch and inter-batch coefficients of variation were not higher than 1.66%. Through in vitro infection experiments monitoring the quantitative changes of SHVV in different tissues, the results indicated that the liver and spleen exhibited the highest viral load at 3 poi. The TaqMan-based real-time PCR method established in this study exhibits high sensitivity, excellent specificity, and strong reproducibility. It can be employed for rapid detection and viral load monitoring of SHVV, thus providing a robust tool for the clinical diagnosis and pathogen research of SHVV., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.)

Fish parasitology is a dynamic and internationally important discipline with numerous biological, ecological and practical applications. We reviewed optimal fish and parasite sampling methods for key ectoparasite phyla (i.e. Ciliophora, Platyhelminthes, Annelida and Arthropoda) as well as recent advances in molecular detection of ectoparasites in aquatic environments. Ideally, fish capture and anaesthesia as well as parasite recovery methods should be validated to eliminate potential sampling bias and inaccuracy in determining ectoparasite population parameters. There are considerable advantages to working with fresh samples and live parasites, when combined with appropriate fixation methods, as sampling using dead or decaying materials can lead to rapid decomposition of soft-bodied parasites and subsequent challenges for identification. Sampling methods differ between target phyla, and sometimes genera, with optimum techniques largely associated with identification of parasite microhabitat and the method of attachment. International advances in fish parasitology can be achieved through the accession of whole specimens and/or molecular voucher specimens (i.e. hologenophores) in curated collections for further study. This approach is now critical for data quality because of the increased application of environmental DNA (eDNA) for the detection and surveillance of parasites in aquatic environments where the whole organism may be unavailable. Optimal fish parasite sampling methods are emphasised to aid repeatability and reliability of parasitological studies that require accurate biodiversity and impact assessments, as well as precise surveillance and diagnostics., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Enteromyxum leei and Enteromyxum fugu, which are myxosporean parasites, were first found in cultured tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes in Korea. We collected four tiger puffers that showed severe emaciation signs for our experiments. DNA sequencing was confirmed that the tiger puffers were coinfected with E. leei and E. fugu. Furthermore, similar amounts of E. leei and E. fugu were confirmed using real-time PCR in the intestine. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports of E. fugu infection in the olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. However, the diagnosis of inflowing water, discharged water and olive flounder samples using highly sensitive diagnostic methods confirmed the presence of E. fugu in water and fish samples from olive flounder farms near the tiger puffer farm. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop highly sensitive diagnostic methods such as real-time and two-step PCR for early diagnosis and follow-up of the emaciation disease and multiplex PCR for rapid diagnosis. The multiplex PCR method exhibited the same sensitivity as the one-step PCR method developed in this study, demonstrating its efficacy for rapid diagnosis. Therefore, the suggested methods can be utilized for the early diagnosis and rapid diagnosis of emaciation diseases and reduction of economic losses through rapid disease control., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Tilapia lake virus ('TiLV-MH-2022') was recently recovered from the naturally infected farmed tilapia. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using segment 1 specific primers, followed by Sanger sequencing, confirmed the infection. The pairwise sequence homology of segment 1 showed its close relationship with the previous isolates. The virus was successfully detected from the mucus, which emphasised the possibility of non-invasive screening of tilapia on a large scale. The virus inoculum prepared from the infected tissues was tested for in vivo and in vitro pathogenicity. Around 100-140 nm-sized electron-dense virus particles were observed in the infected OnlL cells. Based on the onset of symptoms and lesions, all RT-PCR-positive fish were categorised into two groups, 'clinical' and 'subclinical'. A lesion-scoring technique was developed for assessing the pathogenicity of the virus isolate. The external and internal gross lesions and histopathological alterations in the critical organs of the fish, such as the brain, kidney, gills, and liver, were assessed on a scale of 0 (no gross lesion) to 5 (most severe lesions). Overall lesion score was significantly high in the clinical and subclinical groups for gross and histopathology, respectively. This study is the first such attempt to standardise a semi-quantitative lesion scoring technique for TiLV infection, which establishes a clinical relevance and prognostic ability to distinguish between the apparent and inapparent infection., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Megha Kadam Bedekar reports financial support was provided by India Ministry of Science & Technology Department of Biotechnology., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides is an important freshwater fish that is native to the southeastern United States and is cultured for conservation, food, and for the sports fishing industry. Francisella orientalis is a globally distributed bacterial pathogen of warmwater fish species and is associated with granulomatous inflammation and high mortalities. Outbreaks of piscine francisellosis in the United States have been reported in only a few fish species. This study describes three case presentations of francisellosis in Largemouth Bass from a public display system in north-central Florida. Additionally, laboratory-controlled immersion challenges using an F. orientalis isolate from tilapia Oreochromis spp. evaluate susceptibility of Largemouth Bass fingerlings to F. orientalis infection and mortality through this exposure route., Methods: Necropsy, histologic examination, immunohistochemistry, bacterial recovery and culture, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used as diagnostic tools to evaluate both the affected display fish and the immersion-challenged fingerlings., Result: Although the display fish and immersion-challenged fingerlings presented with nonspecific clinical signs, gross and histological changes were indicative of granulomatous disease. Immunohistochemical and molecular testing methods confirmed F. orientalis infection in affected fish., Conclusion: The three case presentations described here mark the first reporting of naturally occurring piscine francisellosis in Largemouth Bass that were held in a public display exhibit. Additionally, causality was proven in the Largemouth Bass fingerlings through the immersion challenges. These findings demonstrate susceptibility through immersion-based exposure and assert that francisellosis should be considered among the list of differential diagnoses for Largemouth Bass with granulomatous disease., (© 2023 American Fisheries Society.)

Objective: To evaluate the performance of recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) assay in detection of Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae in freshwater fish samples, so as to provide insights into standardization and field application of this assay., Methods: Wild freshwater fish samples were collected in the rivers of administrative villages where C. sinensis -infected residents lived in Jiangyan District, Xinghua County and Taixing County of Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province from June to September 2022. Genomic DNA was extracted from six freshwater fish specimens (5 g each) containing 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 C. sinensis metacercariae for fluorescent RAA assay, and the diagnostic sensitivity was evaluated. Fluorescent RAA assay was performed with genomic DNA from C. sinensis , Metorchis orientalis , Haplorchis pumilio and Centrocestus formosanus metacercariae as templates to evaluate its cross-reactions. In addition, the detection of fluorescent RAA assay and direct compression method for C. sinensis metacercariae was compared in field-collected freshwater fish samples., Results: Positive amplification was found in fresh-water fish specimens containing different numbers of C. sinensis metacercariae, and fluorescent RAA assay was effective to detect one C. sinensis metacercaria in 5 g freshwater fish specimens within 20 min. Fluorescent RAA assay tested negative for DNA from M. orientalis , H. pumilio and C. formosanus metacercariae . Fluorescent RAA assay and direct compression method showed 5.36% (93/1 735) and 2.88% (50/1 735) detection rates for C. sinensis metacercariae in 1 735 field-collected freshwater fish samples, with a statistically significant difference seen (χ 2 = 478.150, P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the detection of C. sinensis metacercariae in different species of freshwater fish by both the direct compression method (χ 2 = 11.20, P < 0.05) and fluorescent RAA assay (χ 2 = 20.26, P < 0.001), and the detection of C. sinensis metacercariae was higher in Pseudorasbora parva than in other fish species by both the direct compression method and fluorescent RAA assay (both P values < 0.05)., Conclusions: Fluorescent RAA assay has a high sensitivity for detection of C. sinensis metacercariae in freshwater fish samples, and has no cross-reactions with M. orientalis , H. pumilio or C. formosanus metacercariae. Fluorescent RAA assay shows a higher accuracy for detection of C. sinensis infections in field-collected freshwater fish than the direct compression method.

Infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) can cause severe systemic infection in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), and a timely diagnosis is critical. Conventional real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assays target unspliced RNA from either ISAV segment 7 or 8 and provide data on viral load. Here, we evaluate a TaqMan one-step RT-qPCR assay that detects explicitly a spliced messenger RNA (mRNA) of ISAV segment 7, thus providing evidence of active viral transcription. Assay performance was comparable with existing unspliced segment 7 and segment 8 assays. PCR efficiency as evaluated from dilutions of a synthetic DNA fragment was 98 % (R 2 = 1.00). The assay also performed well on clinical heart samples with PCR efficiency of 108 % (R 2 = 1.00). Finally, evaluation on kidney samples from experimental infection revealed higher levels of active transcription for high-virulent compared to low-virulent ISAV. At early, peak, and late infection, mean ratios of spliced to unspliced segment 7 RNA were 3.0 % (± 0.7), 1.7 % (± 0.3), and 1.5 % (± 0.1) for the low virulent and 9.4 % (± 2.2), 4.7 % (± 0.8), and 6.2 % (± 0.1) for the high virulent isolate, respectively. By detection and quantification of active ISAV transcription, this assay may provide a more detailed understanding of ISAV infection dynamics., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Improving rapid detection methods for pathogens is important for research as we collectively aim to improve the health of ecosystems globally. In the northern hemisphere, the success of salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) populations is vitally important to the larger marine, aquatic, and terrestrial ecosystems they inhabit. This has led to managers cultivating salmon in hatcheries and aquaculture to bolster their populations, but young salmon face many challenges, including diseases such as bacterial kidney disease (BKD). Early detection of the BKD causative agent, Renibacterium salmoninarum, is useful for managers to avoid outbreaks in hatcheries and aquaculture stocks to enable rapid treatment with targeted antibiotics. Isothermal amplification and CRIPSR-Cas12a systems may enable sensitive, relatively rapid, detection of target DNA molecules from environmental samples compared to quantitative PCR (qPCR) and culture methods. We used these technologies to develop a sensitive and specific rapid assay to detect R. salmoninarum from water samples using isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and an AsCas12a RNA-guided nuclease detection. The assay was specific to R. salmoninarum (0/10 co-occurring or closely related bacteria detected) and sensitive to 0.0128 pg/µL of DNA (approximately 20-40 copies/µL) within 10 min of Cas activity. This assay successfully detected R. salmoninarum environmental DNA in 14/20 water samples from hatcheries with known quantification for the pathogen via previous qPCR (70% of qPCR-positive samples). The RPA-CRISPR/AsCas12a assay had a limit of detection (LOD) of >10 copies/µL in the hatchery water samples and stochastic detection below 10 copies/µL, similar to but slightly higher than the qPCR assay. This LOD enables 37 C isothermal detection, potentially in the field, of biologically relevant levels of R. salmoninarum in water. Further research is needed to develop easy-to-use, cost-effective, sensitive RPA/CRISPR-AsCas12a assays for rapidly detecting low concentrations of wildlife pathogens in environmental samples., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2023.)

Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) causes high mortality in farmed and wild tilapia in various countries. We developed a highly specific and sensitive droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay to detect and quantify TiLV. The ddPCR assay could detect the virus at a lower threshold than the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase reaction (RT-qPCR) method, and the sensitivity of the ddPCR assay was 10-fold higher. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the ddPCR assay were 100% and did not cross-react with tilapia tissues infected with Tilapia parvovirus, Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Streptococcus agalactiae, S. iniae and Francisella noatunensis. The assay reproducibility was demonstrated by a high correlation coefficient of 0.998, and the inter-assay coefficients of variability indicated that the ddPCR assay exhibited low variability within and between measurements. The detection limit of the TiLV ddPCR assay was 100 fg cDNA, which is equal to 3.3 copies of TiLV. Furthermore, the ddPCR assay could detect TiLV in mucus, water and infected tissue samples and the lowest copy number of TiLV detected in water samples by the ddPCR assay was 7.9 ± 0.99 copies/reaction The results of the clinical samples tested for TiLV revealed that the ddPCR assay had a relatively higher detection rate than the RT-qPCR method. Overall, the ddPCR method offers a highly promising approach for the absolute quantification of TiLV in carrier fish and samples from the environment with low viral concentrations., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Rapid and accurate detection of bacterial pathogens is critical in controlling disease outbreaks affecting farmed fish. The present study aimed to develop a novel serological diagnostic approach using nano‑silver based Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for speedy detection of Aeromonas veronii infections in Nile tilapia. A. veronii isolates used in ELISA assays were recovered from moribund Nile tilapia during a disease outbreak in a private fish farm in Egypt. A. veronii isolates were identified based on alignment analysis of the gyrB and 16S rRNA gene sequences. A. veronii antisera used in ELISA assays were prepared in tilapia, and the bacterial antigens were formalin-killed. The cut-off values were 0.46 and 0.48 in traditional and nano-based ELISA. There were no cross-reactions with bacterial isolates (Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas caviae, Aeromonas sobria, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Vibrio vulnificus). The lowest antigen concentration that produced positive results after checkerboard titration in indirect-ELISA (i-ELISA) and dot ELISA was 15 μg and 250 ng of prepared antigen, respectively. Nano-ELISA and nano-based dot-ELISA antigen concentration was 10 μg and 100 ng, respectively. Sera concentration was 1:100 in indirect-ELISA and dot-ELISA, while it was 1:50 in nano-based ELISA and nano dot-ELISA. The i-ELISA successfully detected anti-Aeromonas IgG antibodies with 83.33% sensitivity and 66.67% specificity, while in the dot-ELISA, the sensitivity and specificity were 83.33% and 100%, respectively. Nano dot-ELISA had 100% sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Nano dot-ELISA assays have higher specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy than traditional ELISAs in detecting A. veronii. Further studies are needed to develop a rapid test kit for on-site field diagnosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The oomycete Aphanomyces invadans causes epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), a World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)-listed disease that has seriously impacted a wide range of fish worldwide. Currently, only three conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are recommended for the detection of A. invadans. The robust quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay has recently become more important due to its highly accurate nature and the applicability of qPCR-based environmental DNA (eDNA) detection in the monitoring of pathogens in aquatic environments. Therefore, in this study, we developed a novel TaqMan probe-based qPCR method to sensitively and quantitatively detect A. invadans. The assay limit of detection was determined using 10-fold serial dilutions of linearized A. invadans plasmid. Assay sensitivity was assessed in the presence of interfering substances and compared to three WOAH-listed primers using the mycelia and zoospores of A. invadans with and without fish muscle tissue. The assay specificity was also theoretically and experimentally assessed against other oomycetes, fish muscle tissue, and water samples. The assay's repeatability and reproducibility were determined. In this study, the limit of detection of the developed assay was 7.24 copies of A. invadans genomic DNA per reaction (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.75 to 19.05 copies/reaction). The assay showed the same sensitivity in the presence of other substances. Compared to the WOAH-recommended PCR assays, this assay had 10-times higher sensitivity for all tested samples. There were no cross-reactions with other closely related oomycetes, fish muscle, or water samples, indicating that the assay was highly specific for A. invadans. The repeatability and reproducibility tests showed little variation, ranging from 0.1-0.9% and 0.04-1.1%, respectively, indicating the high consistency, repeatability, and reliability of the developed assay. This highly rapid, sensitive, specific, and consistent EUS qPCR assay would be of importance in transboundary disease management and the monitoring of pathogens in aquatic environments., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Ho et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Aquaculture has expanded to become the fastest growing food-producing sector in the world. However, its expansion has come under threat due to an increase in diseases caused by pathogens such as iridoviruses commonly found in aquatic environments used for fish farming. Of the seven members belonging to the family Iridoviridae , the three genera causing diseases in fish comprise ranaviruses, lymphocystiviruses and megalocytiviruses. These three genera are serious impediments to the expansion of global aquaculture because of their tropism for a wide range of farmed-fish species in which they cause high mortality. As economic losses caused by these iridoviruses in aquaculture continue to rise, the urgent need for effective control strategies increases. As a consequence, these viruses have attracted a lot of research interest in recent years. The functional role of some of the genes that form the structure of iridoviruses has not been elucidated. There is a lack of information on the predisposing factors leading to iridovirus infections in fish, an absence of information on the risk factors leading to disease outbreaks, and a lack of data on the chemical and physical properties of iridoviruses needed for the implementation of biosecurity control measures. Thus, the synopsis put forth herein provides an update of knowledge gathered from studies carried out so far aimed at addressing the aforesaid informational gaps. In summary, this review provides an update on the etiology of different iridoviruses infecting finfish and epidemiological factors leading to the occurrence of disease outbreaks. In addition, the review provides an update on the cell lines developed for virus isolation and culture, the diagnostic tools used for virus detection and characterization, the current advances in vaccine development and the use of biosecurity in the control of iridoviruses in aquaculture. Overall, we envision that the information put forth in this review will contribute to developing effective control strategies against iridovirus infections in aquaculture.

Being able to systematically detect parasitic infection, even when no visual signs of infection are present, is crucial to the establishment of accurate conservation policies. The nematode Anguillicola crassus infects the swimbladder of anguillid species and is a potential threat for eel populations. In North America, naïve hosts such as the American eel Anguilla rostrata are affected by this infection. The accidental introduction of A. crassus following restocking programs may contribute to the actual decline of the American eel in Canada. We present a quantitative real time PCR-based method to detect A. crassus infection in final and intermediate hosts. We tested two protocols on samples from different geographical origins in Canada: 1) a general detection of A. crassus DNA in pools of young final hosts (glass eels) or crustacean intermediate hosts 2) a detection at the individual scale by analyzing swim bladders from elvers, or from adult yellow and silver eels. The DNA of A. crassus was detected in one pool of zooplankton (intermediate host) from the Richelieu River (Montérégie-Québec), as well as in individual swim bladders of 13 elvers from Grande and Petite Trinité rivers (Côte-Nord-Québec). We suggest that our qPCR approach could be used in a quantitative way to estimate the parasitic burden in individual swim bladders of elvers. Our method, which goes beyond most of previous developed protocols that restricted the diagnosis of A. crassus to the moment when it was fully established in its final host, should help to detect early A. crassus infection in nature., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Accurate and rapid determination of bacterial disease agents of fish is an important step for sustainable and efficient aquaculture production. In general, biochemical and molecular methods are used for pathogen detection but they are usually time-consuming and required qualified personnel. Recently spectroscopic methods are preferred in clinical and food microbiology and declared as a promising alternative method for pathogens diagnosis with many advantages. In this study, the significant spectra of three important bacterial fish pathogens ( Lactococcus garvieae , Vibrio anguillarum and Yersinia ruckeri ) were determined by Raman spectroscopy. The first data of the pathogens were obtained and the distinctive differences in polysaccharides, nucleic acids, fatty acids and amino acids were identified. This preliminary study aimed to be pioneer for further studies in aquaculture and veterinary microbiology toward developing an alternative method for routine identification.

The intestinal nematode Pseudocapillaria tomentosa in zebrafish (Danio rerio) causes profound intestinal lesions, emaciation and death and is a promoter of a common intestinal cancer in zebrafish. This nematode has been detected in zebrafish from about 15% of the laboratories. Adult worms are readily detected about 3 weeks after exposure by either histology or wet mount preparations of the intestine, and larval worms are inconsistently observed in fish before this time. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) test was recently developed to detect the worm in fish and water, and here we determined that the test on zebrafish intestines was effective for earlier detection. Four lines of zebrafish (AB, TU, 5D and Casper) were experimentally infected and evaluated by wet mounts and qPCR at 8, 15-, 22-, 31- and 44-day post-exposure (dpe). At the first two time points, only 8% of the wet mounts from exposed fish were identified as infected, while the same intestines screened by qPCR showed 78% positivity, with low and consistent cycle threshold (Ct) values at these times. Wet mounts at later time points showed a high prevalence of infection, but this was still surpassed by qPCR., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A serological test for screening of TiLV in Oreochromis niloticus would be useful for the epidemiological investigations. Using polyclonal antisera against TiLV (TiLV-Ab), an indirect enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (iELISA) was developed for the detection of TiLV antigen in fish tissue and mucus. After a cutoff value was established and antigen and antibody concentrations were optimized, the iELISA's sensitivity and specificity were assessed. We found the ideal dilutions of TiLV-Ab as 1: 4000 and secondary antibody as 1:65,000. High analytical sensitivity and moderate specificity were displayed by the developed iELISA. The Positive and Negative Likelihood Ratio (LR+, LR-) were 1.75 and 0.29, respectively. The estimated Positive and Negative Predictive Values (PPV and NPV) of the test were 76.19% and 65.62%, respectively. The accuracy of the developed iELISA was estimated as 73.28%. An immunological survey was performed using the developed iELISA with samples from the field and 155/195 fishes tested positive, indicating a 79.48% TiLV antigen positives. Among the pooled organs and mucus tested, the highest positive rate of 92.3% (36/39) is observed in mucus compared to other tissues, and least positive rate is found in liver of 46% (18/39). The newly designed iELISA proved sensitive and may be helpful for extensive examinations of TiLV infections and monitoring disease status even from apparently healthy samples using a non-invasive technology by collecting mucus as sample for iELISA., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The monoclonal antibody (mAb) IP5B11, which is used worldwide for the diagnosis of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) in fish, reacts with all genotypes of VHS virus (VHSV). The mAb exceptionally also reacts with the carpione rhabdovirus (CarRV). Following next generation genome sequencing of CarRV and N protein sequence alignment including five kinds of fish novirhabdoviruses, the epitope recognized by mAb IP5B11 was identified. Dot blot analysis confirmed the epitope of mAb IP5B11 to be associated with the region N219 to N233 of the N protein of VHSV. Phylogenetic analysis identified CarRV as a new member of the fish novirhabdoviruses., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to search parasites in 333 ornamental fish from five Brazilian states (Ceará, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina). Fish were sent from eight farms located in the municipalities of Fortaleza, Patrocínio do Muriaé, São Francisco do Glória, Cascavel, Timbó, Iguape, Jacareí and Mairinque. All fish received anesthesia earlier to euthanasia procedures. After the search for parasites, it was verified that 70.6% (235/333) of fishes were infected by at least one type of parasite, being 12 types of parasites identified: monogeneans, digenean metacercariae, cestodes, nematodes, Lernaea cyprinacea, trichodinids, Piscinoodinium pillulare, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, diplomonad flagellates, Ichthyobodo sp., Chilodonella sp., and Tetrahymena sp. The proportion of infected fishes among the farms is compared through statistical tests, besides, animal handling adopted in each farm is also discussed. The importance of ensuring fish health in order to make the ornamental freshwater fish industry economically viable and reduce losses in production is highlighted.

Assessment of fish health is one of the efforts of farmers in minimizing losses due to disease. Rapid tests on fish health can be done through blood observations. This study aimed to determine the blood glucose profile of koi carp due to ectoparasite infestation from the level of blood glucose. The results showed that reported parasites from Blitar's koi carp were Trichodina, Dactylogyrus, Gyrodactylus, Myxobolus, Thelohanellus, Ichthyophthirius, and Argulus. Trichodina showed the highest prevalence (100%) in this case while Thelohanellus was the highest intensity level (93.8±16.3). The results of blood glucose level measurement based on parasite infestation levels showed no significant difference (p>0.05) though the health problems caused by parasites in light, medium or heavy infestation. This research also indicated that the blood glucose profile could be used as a rapid method to detect fish health caused by parasites. We suggest that other variables such as nutritional status, life stage or feeding must be conducted to ensure the glucose role in parasite identification as a rapid method for the future work.

Ichthyophthiriasis, caused by the parasitic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich), is considered one of the most harmful diseases affecting freshwater fish globally. It can cause mass mortalities of fish in intensive farming systems. In such systems, it is thus necessary to detect and quantify the number of Ich in the water so that control measures can be implemented before Ichthyophthiriasis breaks out. In recent years, molecular diagnostic methods have become increasingly important in aquaculture. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) have become robust assays for detecting pathogens. In this study, a set of specific primers and a TaqMan-minor groove binder probe targeting the small-subunit rDNA (SSU rDNA) of Ich were developed. They were used in qPCR and ddPCR assays to compare the performance of these two different methods in quantitatively detecting Ich. After optimizing the reaction conditions, both qPCR and ddPCR assays were found to have high linearity and quantitative correlations for standard plasmid DNA. When used for the detection of Ich eDNA in water samples, the qPCR assay had a wider detection range, making it a suitable method to screen for the prevalence of Ichthyophthiriasis. However, the ddPCR approach had higher sensitivity, which would help provide advance notice of the disease in complex water environmental samples., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Hemorrhagic disease of grass carp, which is induced by grass carp reovirus II (GCRV-II), leads to mass mortality in grass carp culture and causes enormous economic loss. However, there is currently no quantitative analysis method for the detection of GCRV-II, which is greatly restricted the etiological and epidemiological study of the disease. In this study a reverse transcription TaqMan PCR (RT-qPCR) assay was developed for the quantitative detection of GCRV-II. The probe and primers targeted location is the segment 6 (S6) region of the GCRV-II genome which is highly conserved. Standard curves were drawn and criteria were confirmed after the determination of the optimum reaction conditions. The species-specific assay showed that the method is highly specific and has no cross reactions with other pathogens. The assay was sufficiently sensitive to detect as low as 10 copies of virus RNA. Moreover, the method has a very good repeatability for batches and inter-batches sample detection. Then the method was applied to detect the virus in tissue samples from clinically infected grass carp, compared with conventional RT-seminested PCR, the RT-qPCR represents a specific value for detection rate of positive samples. In summary, the RT-qPCR was applied and achieved high sensitivity and specificity for GCRV-II detection., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nocardia seriolae is a gram-positive bacterium that causes nocardiosis, threatening fish farming. Advanced nocardiosis is challenging to control; thus, accurate detection methods of the causal agent in the early disease stage are required. In this study, we developed a TaqMan fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for quantitative detection of N. seriolae in fish tissues and water samples. A pair of highly specific primers and a TaqMan probe were designed based on the N. seriolae 16S23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. A high correlation coefficient (R 2  = 0.998) of the standard curve with a 99.5% efficiency was obtained. The qPCR detection limit of the method was as low as 19.8 copies/μL, 1000 times more sensitive than conventional PCR, and has a good performance in the detection of cultured bacteria (y = -3.750× + 48.075, R 2  = 0.974). Even 1.42 CFU/mL N. seriolae collected from 500 mL of natural pond water can be detected. Furthermore, a linear model for the relationship between the log of bacteria load and Cq values in water was established (y = -3.239× + 40.978), and the R 2 value was 0.979. This assay was used for accurate N. seriolae detection in fish tissues, water samples, feeds and soils. This study provides a valuable tool for the early detection and control of nocardiosis in aquaculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Tenacibaculosis occurs due to the marine bacterial pathogen Tenacibaculum maritimum . This ulcerative disease causes high mortalities for various marine fish species worldwide. Several external clinical signs can arise, including mouth erosion, epidermal ulcers, fin necrosis, and tail rot. Research in the last 15 years has advanced knowledge on the traits and pathogenesis mechanisms of T. maritimum . Consequently, significant progress has been made in defining the complex host-pathogen relationship. Nevertheless, tenacibaculosis pathogenesis is not yet fully understood. Continued research is urgently needed, as demonstrated by recent reports on the re-emerging nature of tenacibaculosis in salmon farms globally. Current sanitary conditions compromise the development of effective alternatives to antibiotics, in addition to hindering potential preventive measures against tenacibaculosis. The present review compiles knowledge of T. maritimum reported after the 2006 review by Avendaño-Herrera and colleagues. Essential aspects are emphasized, including antigenic and genomic characterizations and molecular diagnostic procedures. Further summarized are the epidemiological foundations of the T. maritimum population structure and elucidations as to the virulence mechanisms of pathogenic isolates, as found using biological, microbiological, and genomic techniques. This comprehensive source of reference will undoubtable serve in tenacibaculosis prevention and control within the marine fish farming industry. Lastly, knowledge gaps and valuable research areas are indicated as potential guidance for future studies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Mabrok, Algammal, Sivaramasamy, Hetta, Atwah, Alghamdi, Fawzy, Avendaño-Herrera and Rodkhum.)

The titer of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) has been determined by conventional neutralization assay based on the observation of cytopathic effect (CPE) and plaque formation in cultured cells. However, this method requires several days for the determination and can be affected by operator bias. To develop a rapid and high-throughput neutralization assay against VHSV, we rescued a surrogate chimeric snakehead rhabdovirus, rSHRV-Gvhsv-eGFP, which has the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene between N and P genes and has VHSV G gene instead of SHRV G gene in the genome. The efficacy of rSHRV-Gvhsv-eGFP to determine serum neutralization activity was evaluated using various serum samples derived from New Zealand white rabbits and olive flounder (Paralichthys oliavaceus). Although neutralization titers analyzed using rSHRV-Gvhsv-eGFP were similar to the titers measured using rVHSV-A-eGFP, the time needed for the determination of neutralization titer was much shortened (24 h for rSHRV-Gvhsv-eGFP and 48 h for rVHSV-A-eGFP), proving the usefulness of rSHRV-Gvhsv-eGFP for the neutralization assay against VHSV. In addition, as the neutralization activities using rSHRV-Gvhsv-eGFP could be well-observed without adding fresh serum as a complement source, no preparation is required for the optimization of control fresh serum from naïve fish. The present results suggest that the rapid neutralization assay using rSHRV-Gvhsv-eGFP can be used to investigate neutralization activities against VHSV., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Tilapia lake virus disease (TiLVD) is an emerging viral disease associated with high morbidity and mortality in cultured tilapia worldwide. In this study, we have developed and validated a TaqMan quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay for TiLV, targeting a conserved region within segment 10 of the genome. The RT-qPCR assay was efficient (mean ± SD: 96.71 ± 3.20%), sensitive with a limit of detection of 10 RNA viral copies per reaction, and detected TiLV strains from different geographic regions including North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. The intra- and inter-assay variability ranged over 0.18-1.41% and 0.21-2.21%, respectively. The TaqMan RT-qPCR assay did not cross-react with other RNA viruses of fish, including an orthomyxovirus, a betanodavirus, a picornavirus, and a rhabdovirus. Analysis of 91 proven-positive and 185 proven-negative samples yielded a diagnostic sensitivity of 96.7% and a diagnostic specificity of 100%. The TaqMan RT-qPCR assay also detected TiLV RNA in infected Nile tilapia liver tissue extracts following an experimental challenge study, and it successfully detected TiLV RNA in SSN-1 (E-11 clone) cell cultures displaying cytopathic effects following their inoculation with TiLV-infected tissue homogenates. Thus, the validated TaqMan RT-qPCR assay should be useful for both research and diagnostic purposes. Additionally, the TiLV qPCR assay returns the clinically relevant viral load of a sample which can assist health professionals in determining the role of TiLV during disease investigations. This RT-qPCR assay could be integrated into surveillance programs aimed at mitigating the effects of TiLVD on global tilapia production.