Title: Molecular diagnosis of iridovirus infections in cold-blooded animals
Abstract: Until the mid-1980s, iridoviruses infecting cold-blooded vertebrates were viewed as agents responsible for benign, self-limiting infections of fish and amphibians. However, within the last 15 years, iridoviruses (genus Ranavirus) have been linked to die-offs of many different species of marine and freshwater fish as well as to severe disease in anurans and urodeles. Because diagnosis of iridovirus infections based on clinical signs alone is not definitive, a panel of microscopic, serological, and molecular techniques must be used to identify the etiologic agent. Transmission electron microscopy is capable of classifying the agent as a member of the family Iridoviridae. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and other serological tests readily identify the genus Ranavirus, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequence analyses distinguish among different virus species/strains. Although it is not currently possible to treat or prevent most iridovirus disease, identification of the specific disease agent is important in differential diagnosis and in controlling spread of the agent to uninfected populations.
Publication Year: 2000
Publication Date: 2000-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 16
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