Detection and Genetic Relationship Analysis of Wenzhou Shrimp Virus 8 (WzSV8) Infecting the Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Syahlaa Hanuun Dhiyanabiila (Master's Degree Program in Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Brawijaya University, Malang, East Java, Indonesia)
Maftuch Maftuch (Aquaculture, Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Brawijaya University, Malang, East Java, Indonesia)
Andi Kurniawan (Aquaculture, Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Brawijaya University, Malang, East Java, Indonesia)
Bambang Hanggono (Situbondo Brackishwater Aquaculture Center, Situbondo, East Java, Indonesia)
Kathy Feng-Ju Tang (State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Good, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS) Qingdao, China – Laboratory for Marine Fisheries, Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao)

Jurnal Perikanan Universitas Gadjah Mada
Vol 28, No 1 (2026)

Wenzhou shrimp virus 8 (WzSV8) is a newly identified RNA virus that has been increasingly reported to infect vanamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in various countries. This study aimed to detect the presence of WzSV8 and analyze the genetic relationships among viral isolates using molecular approaches. Hepatopancreas samples from clinically symptomatic vanamei shrimp were collected from aquaculture ponds and analyzed using RT-PCR and nested PCR targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene. The amplification products were subsequently sequenced using the Sanger method and analyzed phylogenetically using the Maximum Likelihood model with the Kimura 2-parameter and Gamma distribution (K2+G). The results showed that all positive samples produced a 168-bp DNA band in the nested PCR stage. BLAST analysis confirmed high nucleotide identity with the WzSV8 isolate from GenBank. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that the Indonesian isolates were closely related to isolates from China and India and formed several distinct genetic clusters. These results indicate a high degree of genetic conservation in the WzSV8 RdRp gene and suggest the possibility of viral spread through global shrimp trade and aquaculture activities.