Growth of the penaeid shrimp virus infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus in a fish cell line.

An established fish cell line, epithelioma papillosum cyprini (EPC), originating from the carp (Cyprinus carpio) was found to be susceptible to the penaeid shrimp virus, infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV). This economically important pathogen of penaeid shrimp raised in mariculture has been previously limited to growth only in young post-larval shrimps. This is, to our knowledge, the first reported successful growth of the penaeid virus in a fish cell line; it promises to provide a sensitive and convenient cell culture system for the primary isolation and detection of IHHNV which will aid immensely the production of IHHNV-free penaeid shrimp stocks for mariculture. Of added significance is the replication of a crustacean virus in a fish cell line which has never before been reported. The use of this sensitive cell line will also greatly facilitate the characterization of the IHHN virus and other crustacean viruses.