The presence of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in the main species of shrimps, blue crabs, and burrowing crabs of five lagoons where shrimp farm effluents are discharged, was analyzed by nested PCR and the presence of virus inclusions in the shrimps was analyzed through histopathology. The nested PCR analysis indicated the presence of WSSV in 13 of 16 (81.2%) samples of the shrimp species of Farfantepenaeus paulensis, in 13 of 14 (92.8%) of Litopenaeus schmitti, in one of two of Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (50%), in 13 of 15 (86.6%) of blue crab species of Callinectes danae and in 11 of 12 (91.6%) of Callinectes sapidus and none was detected in the 10 samples of the burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulata. The inclusion characteristics of WSSV were observed in three samples of 50 (6.0%) in the gastric and cuticular epithelium and in the gills of two specimens of F. paulensis and one of L. schmitti. The presence of WSSV in L. schmitti wild shrimp and in the C. danae blue crab is reported for the first time in the present work. The results indicate that the main species of shrimps and blue crabs of the environment surrounding the farms were infected by WSSV, and they may be considered potential vectors of the virus.
virus; shrimp; blue crab; burrowing crab
