title: First case of hepatopancreatic necrosis disease in pond-reared Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, associated with microsporidian.
abstract: An epidemic of hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (HPND) with a high mortality rate (40%-50%) recently occurred in the cultured Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, which is a very important economic crustacean species in China. Histology revealed infection by a microsporidian parasite within the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells of the hepatopancreas. Numerous discrete inclusions in the infected cells and presumably free parasite spores were also observed. By negative staining using electron microscopy, a typical morphology of spores was observed with a protuberant front of the anchoring disc. Infection was confined to the epithelial cells of the hepatopancreas, with no other organ implicated. By sequencing the PCR products using specific primers based on conserved regions of microsporidian small subunit (18S) ribosomal DNA, it was revealed that the parasite from HPND ponds had 99% sequence identity to that of Hepatospora eriocheir. Phylogentic analysis also placed the microsporidian in the same lineage as H. eriocheir. This study reported the first case of widespread infections of H. eriocheir associated with HPND found in the pond-reared Chinese mitten crab, E. sinensis. The description of microsporidian in this important commercial host is fundamental for future consideration of factors affecting stock health and sustainability.
authors: Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Ding
authors: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity & Biotechnology and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Aquatic Crustacean Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Q
authors: Q
authors: Meng
authors: Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Liu
authors: Jiangsu Agri-animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, China.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Yuan
authors: Aquaculture Promotion Centers of Xinghua City, Xinghua, China.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Zhang
authors: Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Sun
authors: Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Zhao
authors: Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Shen
authors: Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Zhou
authors: Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Pan
authors: Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Xue
authors: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity & Biotechnology and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Aquatic Crustacean Diseases, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016817:Apansporoblastina / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017756:Aquaculture; D003386:Brachyura / Q000469:parasitology*; D002681:China; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
keywords: Eriocheir sinensis; Hepatospora eriocheir; Microsporidia; hepatopancreatic necrosis disease