Co-Infection Dynamics of Baculovirus Penaei (BP–PvSNPV) in Penaeus vannamei Across Latin America

TL;DR

This study examines how Baculovirus penaei infects shrimp in Latin America and highlights challenges in detecting it alongside bacterial co-infections.

Contribution

The study identifies significant limitations in current BP detection methods and reveals bacterial co-infections in shrimp.

Findings

Only 6% and 3% of confirmed BP cases tested positive with two primer pairs, showing poor diagnostic reliability.

Histopathology showed bacterial co-infections and severe tissue damage in shrimp with BP.

BP's impact on later life stages and its role in co-infections remain poorly understood.

Abstract

Baculovirus penaei (BP) is an enteric virus infecting the hepatopancreas and anterior midgut of shrimp, particularly affecting early developmental stages and contributing to hatchery losses. While BP’s role in co-infections is increasingly recognized, its impact on later life stages remains unclear. Despite advancements in molecular diagnostics, its high genetic diversity complicates reliable detection, often leading to discrepancies between PCR results and histological observations of occlusion bodies. This study evaluated seven primer pairs for BP detection in Penaeus vannamei. Among histologically confirmed cases, only 6% tested positive with the BPA/BPF primer and 3% with BPA/BPB, while the remaining primers failed to amplify BP, highlighting significant diagnostic limitations. Histopathology revealed bacterial co-infections alongside BP, with advanced cases showing intranuclear occlusion bodies, hepatopancreatic necrosis, and epithelial detachment. These findings underscore the urgent need for improved molecular diagnostics to accurately assess BP prevalence, its role in co-infections, and its overall impact on shrimp health in Latin America. Further research is essential to refine detection methods and determine BP’s pathogenic significance beyond early developmental stages.

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