Reo-like virus in white shrimp Penaeus van-namei (Crustacea: Decapoda): co-occurrence with Baculovirus penaei in experimental infections

Abstract

A virus, tentatively identified as reo-like, occurred concurrently with experimentallyinduced Baculovirus penaei (BP) infection in cultured white shrimp larvae Penaeus vannamei. Each shrimp with a reo-like viral infection also had a BP infection, but not all BP-infected shrimp had a reolike infection. Both viruses occurred in the same tissues and occasionally withln the same cell. The reolike virus developed in epithelia1 cells of the anterior midgut and in reserve-and fibrillar-cells of the hepatopancreas. The paraspherical and non-enveloped reo-like virions (ca 50 nm diam.) occurred as unordered aggregates in the cell cytoplasm. Their etiology has not been determined. Reo-like vinons may have been ~ntroduced along with the BP virus, or, were latent and only manifested due to stress induced by the more pathogenic BP virus.