Detection of white spot syndrome virus from stomach tissue homogenate of the kuruma shrimp (Penaeus japonicus) by reverse passive latex agglutination

A reversed passive latex agglutination (RPLA) assay was developed for detecting the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), which was formally named as penaeid rod-shaped DNA virus (PRDV) in Japan, from stomach tissue homogenate of the kuruma shrimp (Penaeus japonicus). Using high-density latex particles and specific polyclonal antibody, WSSV was detectable after 4 h incubation. The hemolymph, the stomach, and the gills were extracted from a shrimp that had been infected experimentally with WSSV, the virus contained in each sample was tested by the PRLA and PCR assay. It was possible to detect the WSSV only from stomach tissue homogenates by the RPLA assay. And there was an agreement between RPLA and PCR assays for WSSV detection. Considering that the RPLA assay does not require biochemical expertise and latex reagents and all apparatus can be provided as a kit, this assay can be used for virus detection in the culture pond of shrimps or in the field as a convenient method.