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In situ stress testing to identify Australian black tiger prawns ( Penaeus monodon ) free of gill‐associated virus and Mourilyan virus
Author(s) -
Cowley JA,
Coman GJ,
Salmon ML,
Young ND,
Rajendran KV,
Wilson KJ,
Preston NP
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2009.00436.x
Subject(s) - penaeus monodon , biology , virus , prawn , carpentaria , tiger , fishery , decapoda , virology , zoology , veterinary medicine , shrimp , crustacean , medicine , computer security , computer science
Objective To identify whether black tiger prawns ( Penaeus monodon ) in the Weipa region of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, are free of gill‐associated virus (GAV) and Mourilyan virus (MoV), which are endemic in P. monodon along the east coast of Queensland. Procedure Preliminary screening suggested that Weipa might be a source of P. monodon that are free of GAV and MoV. To assess this, more than 150 prawns captured near Weipa were maintained locally in tanks for 2 weeks and bled three times as a stressor to promote higher‐level infections. The existence of GAV and MoV in lymphoid organ tissue was then determined using real‐time quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Some prawns were maintained in tanks for an additional 75 days before being tested. Results Real‐time qRT‐PCR did not detect GAV in any of 33 pools of RNA isolated from the 166 prawns tested. MoV was detected in five pools of RNA at extremely low viral RNA copy numbers close to the sensitivity threshold of the test. MoV was also detected at a similar low copy number in one of nine pearl‐oyster mantle samples used as negative controls. Conclusions GAV infection is either absent or, like MoV, potentially present at a very low prevalence in juvenile P. monodon inhabiting the inshore waters at Weipa. This region can thus be recommended as a good source of P. monodon certifiable as specific pathogen‐free for GAV and MoV, which is desirable for domestication and selective breeding programs in Australia.