Seabirds as potential vectors of penaeid shrimp viruses and the development of a surrogate laboratory model utilizing domestic chickens

Kristie A. Vanpatten, Linda M. Nunan, Donald V. Lightner

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    42 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), Taura syndrome virus (TSV), Yellow head virus (YHV), and Infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) have caused significant economic losses of farmed penaeid shrimp worldwide. Because the presence of large numbers of seabirds at shrimp grow-out ponds may be related to disease transmission, we hypothesized that these birds may be capable of carrying infectious viral particles in their feces from affected ponds to nearby unaffected ponds, and perhaps even to nearby farms. Because of the difficulties posed by working with wild fowl in a laboratory setting, a surrogate model, employing domestic white leghorn chickens (Gallus domesticus), was developed to compare with the detection and infectivity results from captive laughing gulls (Larus atricilla). Using standard histology, PCR/RT-PCR and infectivity challenges, this study demonstrated that IHHNV and TSV remained infectious for up to 1 day following passage through both chickens and seagulls, while no viable WSSV or YHV were found following passage through the gut of either bird species. This study demonstrated that wild seabirds may serve as mechanical vectors of TSV and IHHNV by passing infectious particles to aquatic environments in their feces, and that chickens may be used as a surrogate laboratory model for seabirds in such viral infectivity tests.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)31-46
    Number of pages16
    JournalAquaculture
    Volume241
    Issue number1-4
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Nov 26 2004

    Keywords

    • IHHNV
    • PCR
    • Seabirds
    • TSV
    • Viral transmission
    • WSSV
    • YHV

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Aquatic Science

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