Viral Pathogenesis in Aquaculture Systems
Summary
Viral pathogenesis in aquaculture encompasses the mechanisms by which viruses infect, replicate and cause disease in farmed aquatic species. High stocking densities, environmental stressors and water‐borne transmission facilitate rapid viral spread, while diverse viral families – including Rhabdoviridae, Iridoviridae and Poxviridae – exploit mucosal surfaces such as gills and skin to invade hosts. Temperature, salinity and microbiota composition modulate viral infectivity and host immune competence, often determining seasonal outbreak patterns. Once inside the host, viruses co‐opt cellular machinery to replicate, trigger apoptotic or necrotic pathways and dysregulate the interferon system, leading to tissue damage, secondary bacterial infections and high mortality. Latent or asymptomatic infections in carriers complicate surveillance and biosecurity, allowing reactivation under stress. The global expansion of intensive finfish and shellfish production has heightened the economic and ecological stakes, as viral outbreaks can decimate stocks, disrupt trade and imperil food security. Contemporary control strategies emphasise integrated approaches: selective breeding for resistance, vaccination programmes, antiviral therapeutics, probiotic modulation of microbiota and stringent biosecurity measures. Advances in molecular diagnostics, in vitro cell models and omics technologies continue to refine our understanding of host–virus interactions and to inform sustainable management of viral diseases in aquaculture systems.
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Viral Pathogenesis in Aquaculture Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in viral pathogenesis in aquaculture systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Pathogenesis: The sequence of events by which a virus invades a host, replicates and induces disease.
Rhabdovirus: A family of enveloped, negative‐sense RNA viruses that includes pathogens such as spring viraemia of carp virus.
Interferon: Host‐derived cytokines that orchestrate antiviral responses by inducing antiviral proteins and modulating immune cells.
Transcriptome profiling: The comprehensive analysis of all RNA transcripts expressed in a cell or tissue at a given time, used to reveal host–virus interaction networks.
Microbiota: The community of microorganisms associated with a host’s mucosal surfaces, which can influence viral infectivity and host immunity.
References
- Parabacteroides distasonis regulates the infectivity and pathogenicity of SVCV at different water temperatures. Microbiome (2024).
- Characteristics of pathology and transcriptome profiling reveal features of immune response of acutely infected and asymptomatic infected of carp edema virus in Koi. Frontiers in Immunology (2023).
- Challenges and Solutions to Viral Diseases of Finfish in Marine Aquaculture. Pathogens (2021).
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