International overview of sea turtle fibropapillomatosis: a survey of expert opinions and trends.

Introduction: Marine environments offer a wealth of opportunities to improve understanding and treatment options for cancers, through insights into a range of fields from drug discovery to mechanistic insights. By applying One Health principles the knowledge obtained can benefit both human and animal populations, including marine species suffering from cancer. One such species is green sea turtles (), which are under threat from fibropapillomatosis (FP), an epizootic tumor disease (animal epidemic) that continues to spread and increase in prevalence globally.

Multicellular species environmental DNA (eDNA) research constrained by overfocus on mitochondrial DNA.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is becoming an established tool across the biological and medical sciences. Despite the evident successes and wide adoption of eDNA approaches, some fundamental questions remain. For instance, there is almost a dogma in the field around the superiority of mitochondrial DNA for use in eDNA studies, however robust comparison with nuclear eDNA is widely lacking.

Inadvertent human genomic bycatch and intentional capture raise beneficial applications and ethical concerns with environmental DNA.

The field of environmental DNA (eDNA) is advancing rapidly, yet human eDNA applications remain underutilized and underconsidered. Broader adoption of eDNA analysis will produce many well-recognized benefits for pathogen surveillance, biodiversity monitoring, endangered and invasive species detection, and population genetics. Here we show that deep-sequencing-based eDNA approaches capture genomic information from humans (Homo sapiens) just as readily as that from the intended target species.

Partial validation of a TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the detection of the three genotypes of Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus.

Megalocytiviruses (MCVs) are double-stranded DNA viruses known to infect important freshwater and marine fish species in the aquaculture, food, and ornamental fish industries worldwide. Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is the type species within the genus Megalocytivirus that causes red seabream iridoviral disease (RSIVD) which is a reportable disease to the World Animal Health Organization (WOAH). To better control the transboundary spread of this virus and support WOAH reporting requirements, we developed and partially validated a TaqMan real-time qPCR assay (ISKNV104R) to detect all three genotypes of ISKNV, including the two genotypes that cause RSIVD.

Isolation, Identification and Characterization of a Novel from Cultured Tilapia ( spp.) from Southern California, USA.

In spring 2019, diseased four-month-old tilapia ( spp.) from an aquaculture farm in Southern California, USA were received for diagnostic evaluation with signs of lethargy, anorexia, abnormal swimming, and low-level mortalities. At necropsy, non-specific external lesions were noted including fin erosion, cutaneous melanosis, gill pallor, and coelomic distension.

Complete genome sequences of infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus isolated from farmed albino rainbow sharks Epalzeorhynchos frenatum in the United States.

The genus Megalocytivirus includes viruses known to cause significant disease in aquacultured fish stocks. Herein, we report the complete genome sequences of two megalocytiviruses (MCVs) isolated from diseased albino rainbow sharks Epalzeorhynchos frenatum reared on farms in the United States in 2018 and 2019. Histopathological examination revealed typical megalocytivirus microscopic lesions (i.

Characterization of a Novel Megalocytivirus Isolated from European Chub ().

A novel virus from moribund European chub () was isolated on (EPC) cells. Transmission electron microscopic examination revealed abundant non-enveloped, hexagonal virus particles in the cytoplasm of infected EPC cells consistent with an iridovirus. Illumina MiSeq sequence data enabled the assembly and annotation of the full genome (128,216 bp encoding 108 open reading frames) of the suspected iridovirus.

Phylogenomic characterization of red seabream iridovirus from Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus maricultured in the Caribbean Sea.

Between 2010 and 2016, six mortality events were observed in Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) maricultured in the Dominican Republic. Histopathological examination and conventional PCR confirmed a megalocytivirus (MCV) infection in each case. Subsequently, next-generation sequencing and phylogenomic analyses confirmed that MCV DNA was present in the infected pompano tissue samples from 2010, 2014, and 2016, and each was determined to be red seabream iridovirus (RSIV).

Red seabream iridovirus associated with cultured Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus mortality in Central America.

Mariculture of Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus in Central America has increased over the last few decades and it is now a highly valued food fish. High feed costs and infectious diseases are significant impediments to the expansion of mariculture. Members of the genus Megalocytivirus (MCV), subfamily Alphairidovirinae, within the family Iridoviridae, are emerging pathogens that negatively impact Asian mariculture.

Phylogenomic characterization of two novel members of the genus Megalocytivirus from archived ornamental fish samples.

The genus Megalocytivirus is the most recently described member of the family Iridoviridae; as such, little is known about the genetic diversity of this genus of globally emerging viral fish pathogens. We sequenced the genomes of 2 megalocytiviruses (MCVs) isolated from epizootics involving South American cichlids (oscar Astronotus ocellatus and keyhole cichlid Cleithracara maronii) and three spot gourami Trichopodus trichopterus sourced through the ornamental fish trade during the early 1990s. Phylogenomic analyses revealed the South American cichlid iridovirus (SACIV) and three spot gourami iridovirus (TSGIV) possess 116 open reading frames each, and form a novel clade within the turbot reddish body iridovirus genotype (TRBIV Clade 2).