Current updates on viral infections affecting tilapia

Abstract

Tilapia aquaculture is a commercially important and lucrative trade with global production predicted to increase in the future. Owing to the robust and disease-resistant nature of tilapia, tilapia aquaculture has expanded and intensified over the years. However, the intensification of tilapia aquaculture has led to the emergence of diseases, whereby viral diseases represent a prominent limiting factor to the growth of aquaculture. This review aims to discuss all viral infections in tilapia, with emphasis on the aetiology, occurrence, transmission, pathology, diagnostic methods, and control measures to mitigate outbreaks of viral diseases in aquaculture. To date, ten viral infectious diseases have been reported globally in various tilapia species reared in aquaculture or laboratory settings. To our knowledge, this review article represents the first instance of reviewing tilapia parvovirus (TiPV) infection in tilapia, in addition to tilapia larvae encephalitis virus (TLEV), infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), iridovirus-like agent, novel megalocytivirus, Bohle iridovirus (BIV), lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV), infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), nervous necrosis virus (NNV), and tilapia lake virus (TiLV).