Note
Asymptomatic infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic virus (IHHNV) Litopenaeus vannamei carriers can be used to study the virus, obtain resistant shrimp for IHHNV, and develop a vaccine against the virus. The principal aim of this study was to verify the presence and transmissibility of IHHNV from positive asymptomatic L. vannamei and the salinity influence in the disease’s expression. Six groups of 30 IHHNV-free shrimp were inoculated with a cell-free homogenate made from the asymptomatic shrimp. Six other groups of 30 IHHNV-free shrimp were used as a control. The study was run at 32 and 46 PSU for 5 weeks. Hemolymph (H), tissue (T), and total body homogenate (HO) samples were analyzed for IHHNV by dot blot and PCR.