title: Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy of Dicentrarchus labrax and Sparus aurata farmed in Tunisia.
abstract: Viruses belonging to the Nodaviridae family cause disease worldwide among a large number of species of marine fish, and have been described in all continents. In the present study, a total of 69 farmed Tunisian sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and 24 sea bream (Sparus aurata) samples were tested monthly for the detection of betanodavirus. The virus was identified in both species using indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFAT) and RT-PCR. In addition sequence analysis of part of the coat protein gene indicated that both species were infected by highly related, but distinct, strains belonging to the RGNNV genotype. The sequence of the coat protein gene of several strains was identical but up to 9 different sequences were detected in a single farm. In addition, viral sequences obtained from fish that were held at lower temperature (<20 degrees C) were distinct from the rest of the sequences.
authors.affiliation: Institut de la Recherche Vétérinaire de Tunisie (IRVT), Rue Djebel Lakdhar la Rabta, 1006, Tunisie. n.cherif@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chérif
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thiéry
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castric
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biacchesi
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brémont
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thabti
authors.forename: Latifa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Limem
authors.forename: Salah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hammami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001492:Bass; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D030381:Nodaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012327:RNA Virus Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012173:Retinitis / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D021541:Sea Bream; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral