The first detection of white spot syndrome virus in naturally infected cultured Chinese mitten crabs, Eriocheir sinensis in China

Zhengfeng Ding; Yufeng Yao; Fengxiang Zhang; Jinjuan Wan; Mengling Sun; Hongyan Liu; Gang Zhou; Jianqing Tang; Jianlin Pan; Hui Xue; Ziming Zhao

doi:10.1016/j.jviromet.2015.04.011

The first detection of white spot syndrome virus in naturally infected cultured Chinese mitten crabs, Eriocheir sinensis in China

J Virol Methods. 2015 Aug:220:49-54. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2015.04.011. Epub 2015 Apr 20.

Authors

Zhengfeng Ding¹, Yufeng Yao², Fengxiang Zhang³, Jinjuan Wan⁴, Mengling Sun⁴, Hongyan Liu⁴, Gang Zhou⁴, Jianqing Tang⁴, Jianlin Pan⁵, Hui Xue⁶, Ziming Zhao⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, 79 Chating East Street, Nanjing 210017, China. Electronic address: dingzf@yeah.net.
² Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
³ Aquaculture Promotion Center of Xinghua City, 68 Changan Road, Xinghua 225700, China.
⁴ Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, 79 Chating East Street, Nanjing 210017, China.
⁵ Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, 79 Chating East Street, Nanjing 210017, China. Electronic address: jianlinpan2006@126.com.
⁶ Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, 79 Chating East Street, Nanjing 210017, China. Electronic address: fishery@126.com.
⁷ Jiangsu Agri-animal Husbandry Vocational College, 8 Fenghuang East Street, Taizhou 225300, China. Electronic address: jsfish@yeah.net.

PMID: 25907468
DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2015.04.011

Abstract

An epidemic with a high mortality rate (80-100%) recently occurred in the cultured Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, which is a very important economic crustacean species in China. Using negative stain, histopathology and nested PCR supplemented by sequencing we identified white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in these crabs. Challenge experiments revealed that the disease was caused by WSSV and confirmed the crab's susceptibility to this virus, which was consistent with previous laboratory-based studies. A cumulative mortality of 100% was observed within 10 days post WSSV injection. This is the first report of WSSV-associated disease outbreaks in the Chinese mitten crab, which is normally reported as an important penaeid-shrimp viral pathogen. Furthermore, this is only the second report to describe a significant pathogen in pond-cultured E. sinensis. These results will enhance the early diagnosis of WSSV in the crab farms and help in monitoring efforts directed at determining the prevalence of the virus in E. sinensis.

Keywords: Eriocheir sinensis; Mortality; Viral disease; White spot syndrome virus.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Brachyura / virology*
China
Histocytochemistry
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Staining and Labeling
Survival Analysis
Time Factors
White spot syndrome virus 1 / isolation & purification*