Survey on white spot virus infection in wild shrimps and crabs in Bushehr province coastal waters

After severe mortality due to white spot disease incidence in cultured shrimps of Helleh grows out farms, disease spread to Delvar,Mond, Boeyrat and Bandar Rig sites in Bushehr province during 2005. Many crustaceans keep this virus in the body, act as a carrier, and can spread of the infection. In order to investigate status of contamination of wild shrimp and crab's population to white spot virus in Bushehr province waters (north of Persian Gulf), samples were collected and tested by Nested PCR for detection of WSV from estuaries and input and output channels water around the Helleh, Shif and Mond sites during 2007 and 2008. Total tested shrimps were 401 peaces, includes green tiger shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus) 220 pieces, white shrimp (Metapenaeus affinis) 181 pieces, also total tested crabs were 292 pieces includes Ocypode rotundata 68 pieces and Portunus pelagicus 224 pieces. All the samples showed negative results of WSV contamination. However, it can never be sure that the population is free from WSV unless we collect a random sample of 300 pieces from each species and test them individually for WSV. Therefore, we will be confident up to 95% that the wild sources in that area have no prevalence of 1% or upper WSV contamination