Artificial infection of the native Korean freshwater prawn Macrobrachium nipponense (De Haan, 1849) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae) with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV)

Abstract

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), an important shrimp pathogen that can affect both salt- and freshwater shrimp, has a high mortality rate that can reach up to 100% in 3-10 days. Therefore, we assessed the susceptibility of Macrobrachium nipponense (De Haan, 1849), a freshwater prawn native to Korea, to artificial WSSV infection. Although rearing in water containing WSSV-infected carcasses did not result in infection, M. nipponense was infected with WSSV after being fed a WSSV-containing diet, per os infection, or injection with the purified virus. In the feeding test, the first mortality was observed on the 7th day and cumulative mortality reached 30% by 3 weeks post-infection. After per os infection, experimental animals started dying on the second day and within 3 weeks mortality had reached 90%. In the injection test, the mortality was found to be dose-dependent. Prawn injected with 2.5 × 104, 900 and 80 copies/g body weight exhibited the first mortality at 1, 2 and 4 days post inoculation, with 100, 100 and 50% final mortality at 2, 10 and 12 days post inoculation, respectively. Histological observation revealed inclusion bodies in the gills, antennal glands and other tissues of ectodermal origin. Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed the increase of viral titers, indicating viral replication in the inoculated host. This forms the first report of the experimental susceptibility of M. nipponense to WSSV.