A TaqMan probe based real-time PCR for the detection of Decapod iridescent virus 1

[Display omitted] •A TaqMan probe based real-time PCR assay for detection of DIV1 targets the MCP gene.•The real-time PCR assay is highly specific and the detection limit was 1.2 copies.•The assay has DSe and DSp of 97.2% and 98.7%, respectively. Decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1) was proven to be the aetiological agent of a disease causing mass die-offs of shrimp, prawn and crayfish. The specific purpose of this study was to develop a new sensitive real-time PCR method for the specific detection of DIV1. A pair of primers that amplify a 142 bp fragment and a TaqMan probe were selected for the major capsid protein gene of DIV1. They were shown to be specific for DIV1 and did not react with other common shrimp pathogens or healthy shrimp DNA. The method could detect as virus levels as low as 1.2 copies of DIV1 plasmid DNA.