The Way of Water: Unravelling White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Transmission Dynamics in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> Shrimp
White spot disease (WSD) is a severe viral threat to the global shrimp aquaculture industry. However, little is known about white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) transmission dynamics. Our aim was to elucidate this in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> using peroral <i>in vivo</i> WSSV c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | Viruses |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/9/1824 |
| _version_ | 1797576440359682048 |
|---|---|
| author | Natasja Cox Evelien De Swaef Mathias Corteel Wim Van Den Broeck Peter Bossier João J. Dantas-Lima Hans J. Nauwynck |
| author_facet | Natasja Cox Evelien De Swaef Mathias Corteel Wim Van Den Broeck Peter Bossier João J. Dantas-Lima Hans J. Nauwynck |
| author_sort | Natasja Cox |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | White spot disease (WSD) is a severe viral threat to the global shrimp aquaculture industry. However, little is known about white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) transmission dynamics. Our aim was to elucidate this in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> using peroral <i>in vivo</i> WSSV challenge experiments. We demonstrated that WSD progression was rapid and irreversible, leading to death within 78 h. Viral DNA shedding was detected within 6 h of disease onset. This shedding intensified over time, reaching a peak within 12 h of the time of death. Isolating shrimp (clinically healthy and diseased) from infected populations at different time points post-inoculation showed that host-to-host WSSV transmission was occurring around the time of death. Exposing sentinels to environmental components (i.e., water, feces, molts) collected from tanks housing WSSV-infected shrimp resulted in a significantly (<i>p</i>-value < 0.05) increased infection risk after exposure to water (1.0) compared to the risk of infection after exposure to feces (0.2) or molts (0.0). Furthermore, ingestion of WSSV-infected tissues (cannibalism) did not cause a significantly higher number of WSD cases compared to immersion in water in which the same degree of cannibalism had taken place. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:52:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d7e8b3a0472d4f4dbe7509a1acea6f34 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:52:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-d7e8b3a0472d4f4dbe7509a1acea6f342023-11-19T13:22:11ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152023-08-01159182410.3390/v15091824The Way of Water: Unravelling White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Transmission Dynamics in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> ShrimpNatasja Cox0Evelien De Swaef1Mathias Corteel2Wim Van Den Broeck3Peter Bossier4João J. Dantas-Lima5Hans J. Nauwynck6IMAQUA, 9080 Lochristi, BelgiumIMAQUA, 9080 Lochristi, BelgiumIMAQUA, 9080 Lochristi, BelgiumDepartment of Morphology, Medical Imaging, Orthopedics, Physiotherapy and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, BelgiumLaboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumIMAQUA, 9080 Lochristi, BelgiumLaboratory of Virology, Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, BelgiumWhite spot disease (WSD) is a severe viral threat to the global shrimp aquaculture industry. However, little is known about white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) transmission dynamics. Our aim was to elucidate this in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> using peroral <i>in vivo</i> WSSV challenge experiments. We demonstrated that WSD progression was rapid and irreversible, leading to death within 78 h. Viral DNA shedding was detected within 6 h of disease onset. This shedding intensified over time, reaching a peak within 12 h of the time of death. Isolating shrimp (clinically healthy and diseased) from infected populations at different time points post-inoculation showed that host-to-host WSSV transmission was occurring around the time of death. Exposing sentinels to environmental components (i.e., water, feces, molts) collected from tanks housing WSSV-infected shrimp resulted in a significantly (<i>p</i>-value < 0.05) increased infection risk after exposure to water (1.0) compared to the risk of infection after exposure to feces (0.2) or molts (0.0). Furthermore, ingestion of WSSV-infected tissues (cannibalism) did not cause a significantly higher number of WSD cases compared to immersion in water in which the same degree of cannibalism had taken place.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/9/1824white spot syndrome virus<i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i>natural history of diseasetransmission dynamicswater-borne disease transmission |
| spellingShingle | Natasja Cox Evelien De Swaef Mathias Corteel Wim Van Den Broeck Peter Bossier João J. Dantas-Lima Hans J. Nauwynck The Way of Water: Unravelling White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Transmission Dynamics in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> Shrimp Viruses white spot syndrome virus <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> natural history of disease transmission dynamics water-borne disease transmission |
| title | The Way of Water: Unravelling White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Transmission Dynamics in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> Shrimp |
| title_full | The Way of Water: Unravelling White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Transmission Dynamics in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> Shrimp |
| title_fullStr | The Way of Water: Unravelling White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Transmission Dynamics in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> Shrimp |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Way of Water: Unravelling White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Transmission Dynamics in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> Shrimp |
| title_short | The Way of Water: Unravelling White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Transmission Dynamics in <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> Shrimp |
| title_sort | way of water unravelling white spot syndrome virus wssv transmission dynamics in i litopenaeus vannamei i shrimp |
| topic | white spot syndrome virus <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> natural history of disease transmission dynamics water-borne disease transmission |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/9/1824 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT natasjacox thewayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT eveliendeswaef thewayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT mathiascorteel thewayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT wimvandenbroeck thewayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT peterbossier thewayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT joaojdantaslima thewayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT hansjnauwynck thewayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT natasjacox wayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT eveliendeswaef wayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT mathiascorteel wayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT wimvandenbroeck wayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT peterbossier wayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT joaojdantaslima wayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp AT hansjnauwynck wayofwaterunravellingwhitespotsyndromeviruswssvtransmissiondynamicsinilitopenaeusvannameiishrimp |