An improved Taura syndrome virus (TSV) RT-PCR using newly designed primers

Taura syndrome virus (TSV)-specific primers, designated as 7171F/7511R, were designed to improve the sensitivity of RT-PCR detection. This pair of primers was shown to detect TSV isolates representative of four phylogenetic lineages: Belize, Americas, SE Asia, and Venezuela. Its detection limit was determined to be 20 copies of the TSV genome, 100 times more sensitive than the TSV primers 9992/9195 currently being used by many laboratories and recommended for surveillance and diagnostic applications by the Office International des Epizooties. Primers 7171F/7511R were found to be specific to TSV and did not to react to either Infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), Yellow head virus (YHV), or Infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV). This new RT-PCR method was shown to detect TSV in chronically infected Penaeus vannamei that had survived up to 236 days after exposure to TSV.