Detection of Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus from the Leeches Hemiclepsis marginata and Hirudo medicinalis.
Leeches have been reported to harbor several important fish pathogens, including spring viremia of carp virus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), and also may contain blood protozoa. In the present study, leeches were collected from water bodies located in Kurdistan province, Iran. The specimens were tested for IHNV, VHSV, and infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) using the PCR method. The results showed that two different species of leeches, Hemiclepsis marginata and Hirudo medicinalis, were infected by IPNV among the seven species studied. The infected leeches were found in areas that were polluted with untreated sewage coming from upstream fish farms culturing Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. In addition, the fish at fish farms in the vicinity had been infected with IPNV 9 months previously. Our results showed that the virus causing infectious pancreatic necrosis is present in the leeches H. marginata and H. medicinalis, suggesting that leeches are a potential source of IPNV in fish farms. Received October 14, 2015; accepted June 1, 2016.
a Department of Aquatic Animal Health and Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Pasdaran Boulevard , Post Office Box 618, Sanandaj , Iran.
Behnam
B
Salimi
b Aquatic Animal Health Specialist, Investigation and Management Office of Aquatic Animal Health, Veterinary Organization of Iran , Valiasr Street, Post Office Box 14155-6349, Tehran , Iran.
Kazem
K
Abdi
D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D047709:Hirudo medicinalis / Q000821:virology; D029142:Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018061:Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007492:Iran; D007865:Leeches / Q000821:virology*; D029141:Novirhabdovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013045:Species Specificity