Detection of Laem-Singh virus (LSNV) in cultured Penaeus monodon from India.

Viral diseases have become a major constraint on the growth of shrimp aquaculture in India. During a study of new diseases in cultured tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon, diseased samples randomly collected from the southwestern and southeastern coasts of India were analyzed for white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), monodon baculovirus (MBV), and hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV) by nested PCR, and for Laem-Singh virus (LSNV) by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Of the 56 samples analyzed, 3 were positive for LSNV. These samples had signs of loose shell syndrome (LSS). Of the 3 samples that tested positive for LSNV, 2 were also positive for WSSV and MBV, and of these 2 samples, 1 was also positive for HPV. This is the first reported presence of LSNV in cultured shrimp in India.