Molecular diagnosis of iridovirus infections in cold-blooded animals

Megalocytivirus and Other Members of the Family Iridoviridae in Finfish: A Review of the Etiology, Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Prevention and Control

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.

Brown skin disease: A syndrome of dysecdysis in Puerto Rican crested toads (Peltophryne lemur)

The endangered Puerto Rican crested toad (Peltophryne [Bufo] lemur) has been held and bred in zoos for release into protected areas in Puerto Rico since 1982. In 2004, several cases of a novel syndrome of skin changes in toads were noticed at the Toronto Zoo. A total of 21 toads were found to have similar lesions and the condition has been seen in several other groups of toads in subsequent years. Affected toads show an uncharacteristic sheen of dark-brown leathery skin, followed by recurring dysecdysis, reduced appetite, weight loss, and death from secondary causes. Histologically the condition is characterized by epithelial hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis, ulceration, and the presence of superficial mats of bacterial and fungal agents. No etiology has been identified and to date toads have not permanently responded to treatment with various pharmaceutical and nutritional therapies.

Development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid detection of iridovirus in the Chinese giant salamander

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) iridovirus (GSIV) is an emerging infectious pathogen responsible for severe hemorrhagic disease and high mortality in cultured Chinese giant salamanders. A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay based on the major caspid protein (MCP) gene has been developed to detect this virus. Primer pairs for the LAMP assay were designed based on the GSIV MCP gene sequence. Amplification results indicate that under optimized conditions the LAMP assay has the ability to specifically detect the virus in both diseased animals and infected epithelioma papilloma cyprinid (EPC) cells. The assay was shown to be 10-fold more sensitive than nested PCR and was able to detect concentrations of 10(-9) (approximately 0.01 pg/μL). The LAMP assay is relatively easy to perform in situ and the amplification products can be observed directly under UV light or via staining with SYBR Green I. The LAMP assay is also rapid and cost-effective. This study establishes the use of a LAMP assay for rapid detection of GSIV, which is a novel and important tool for the diagnosis of GSIV infection in laboratory or farmed Chinese giant salamanders.

Family Iridoviridae: poor viral relations no longer

Members of the family Iridoviridae infect a diverse array of invertebrate and cold-blooded vertebrate hosts and are currently viewed as emerging pathogens of fish and amphibians. Iridovirid replication is unique and involves both nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments, a circularly permuted, terminally redundant genome that, in the case of vertebrate iridoviruses, is also highly methylated, and the efficient shutoff of host macromolecular synthesis. Although initially neglected largely due to the perceived lack of health, environmental, and economic concerns, members of the genus Ranavirus, and the newly recognized genus Megalocytivirus, are rapidly attracting growing interest due to their involvement in amphibian population declines and their adverse impacts on aquaculture. Herein we describe the molecular and genetic basis of viral replication, pathogenesis, and immunity, and discuss viral ecology with reference to members from each of the invertebrate and vertebrate genera.

RANAVIRUS-ASSOCIATED MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN A GROUP OF CAPTIVE EASTERN BOX TURTLES (TERRAPENE CAROLINA CAROLINA)

Seven captive eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) from a large collection of North American chelonians in North Carolina became acutely ill in the fall of 2002. Five of the turtles died. Clinical signs included cutaneous abscessation, oral ulceration or abscessation (or both), respiratory distress, anorexia, and lethargy. The predominant postmortem lesion was fibrinoid vasculitis of various organs, including skin, mucous membranes, lungs, and liver. No inclusion bodies were detected by histopathology or electron microscopy of formalin-fixed tissue. An iridovirus was isolated from tissues obtained postmortem from two of the box turtles that died. The virus was characterized by electron microscopy, polymerase chain reaction, and sequence analysis of a portion of the major capsid protein as a member of the genus Ranavirus.