الفهرس 
Molecular and epidemiological investigation of lymphocystis disease virus in Egyptian marine aquaculture
CONTENTSOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 113 |  |  |
| | | from | 113 | | |
Abstract
Egyptian marine aquacultures are expanding. Growth in the aquaculture industry is expected because of the abundance of water bodies, the demand for high quality inexpensive protein, and the need for economic structures to support the expanding population. Aquaculture conditions are often conducive to the spread of diseases; pathogens, including viruses, that would normally exist in relatively low levels in wild fish populations are problematic in densely packed aquaculture. There is little information about pathogenic fish viruses in Egypt even though members of twelve virus families have been identified in wild and cultured fish species worldwide. Molecular diagnostic assays are preferred in epidemiological investigations because they are rapid, sensitive, specific, and provide temporal and spatial epidemiological information when properly diploid. Virus isolation, on the other hand, is difficult, time-consuming and often ineffective for detection of viruses. Development of diagnostic assays for fish viruses requires the presence of proper positive control, which is not readily available in Egypt. One of the objectives of this study was to develop a synthetic stable positive control for five viral pathogens that threaten aquaculture species; Lymphocystis Disease Virus (LCDV) was one of selected viruses. A fragment of the major capsid protein (MCP) gene of LCDV was targeted for synthesis and cloning. A diagnostic assay was then developed, its detection sensitivity was estimated, and used to investigate an outbreak of LCDV in a major marine aquaculture facility. The findings of this investigation lead to the pathological, ultrastructural, and phylogenetic characterization of the first known genotype I LCDV infection in cultured gilt-head seabream worldwide