Screening for WSSV in crustacean from marine areas of Buenos Aires, Argentina

In total 374 specimens corresponding to four species of shrimp: Artemesia longinaris, Pleoticus muelleri, Peisos petrunkevitchii, Palaemon macrodactylus, and two species of crabs: Neohelice granulata and Cyrtograpsus angulatus were studied in the search of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). The crustaceans were collected in the estuary of Bahia Blanca, the port of Mar del Plata and the Samborombón Bay, Argentina, between 2010 and 2014. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis in all of them has not detected any virus presence. These new results suggest that the discovery of infected shrimp in 2008-09 in the Bahia Blanca estuary may have been a one-time local event, promoted by special conditions of seawater temperature inside the estuary, coincident with the presence of a virus carrier or transporter. To determine if the virus was finally installed in the estuary of Bahia Blanca more screening are needed coming from a larger number of shrimp samples. These studies will be necessary mainly in A. longinaris (Penaeidae) since this family of shrimps is most susceptible to be affected by WSSV.