Molecular detection of betanodavirus in wild marine fish populations in Korea

Abstract. Viral nervous necrosis (VNN) is a worldwide disease affecting several species of cultured marine fish. In Korea, VNN has been identified in several species of cultured marine fish. In this study, the authors present data of the amplified nested polymerase chain reaction product (420 bp) of 21 nodavirus strains from different species of apparently healthy wild marine fish on the southern coast of Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial nucleotide sequence (177 bases) of the RNA2 coat protein gene of 21 strains was highly homologous (93–100%) and closely related to that of the known betanodavirus, redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus. These results indicate that betanodaviruses occur in large populations of wild marine fish in the southern part of the Korean peninsula, suggesting the importance of these subclinically infected fish as an inoculum source of betanodavirus that is horizontally transmitted to susceptible cultured fish species. Key words: Betanodavirus; phylogenetic analysis; polymerase chain reaction–based techniques; subclinical infection; viral nervous necrosis; wild fish