title: White spot syndrome virus infection: Threat to crustacean biodiversity in Vembanad Lake, India.
abstract: The Vembanad Lake located on the south-west coast of India, an ecological hotspot is the nursing ground of many economically important crustaceans. The prevalence of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) among crustaceans from farmed, estuarine and marine environments surrounding the Vembanad Lake, India was detected using PCR. A total of 308 samples from aquaculture ponds consisting of six species of crustaceans collected from five different farms were tested for the presence of WSSV. Of these, 67% were found to carry the virus. A total of 258 samples of crustaceans from the Cochin backwater system that forms a part of the Vembanad lake viz.,Metapenaeus dobsoni, Metapenaeus monoceros, Penaeus monodon and Penaeus indicuswere found to contain WSSV in 62% of the samples. Fifteen species of crustaceans caught from the seas off Cochin were also screened for the presence of WSSV. Out of these, twelve species had WSSV incidence levels ranging from 6-23%. WSSV was not detected from three species of deep sea crustaceans tested. The black tiger shrimp,Penaeus monodonhad the highest incidence of WSSV among the species screened in farmed, estuarine and marine environments.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, Fermentation and Biotechnology Division, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin 682 029, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Toms C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, Fermentation and Biotechnology Division, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin 682 029, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Roswin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, Fermentation and Biotechnology Division, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin 682 029, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: L Anbu
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rajan
authors.affiliation: Poothuvallil, Dr. Surendran Lane, Perumpadappu, Palluruthy P.O., Cochin 682 006, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Surendran
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, Fermentation and Biotechnology Division, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin 682 029, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Lalitha
keywords: Crustacean; Nested PCR; Vembanad Lake; White spot syndrome virus