LAUSR

Viral nervous necrosis (VNN) is now endemic in the Mediterranean basin and the RGNNV genotype betanodavirus has caused frequent epidemics in European sea bass for a long time. Unexpected and increasing VNN epidemics have been reported in gilthead sea bream (GSB) farms in the last few years, from which the RGNNV/SJNNV genotype has been mostly isolated. The aim of this study was to perform a molecular characterization of the betanodavirus isolated from GSB (weighing 90-100 g) in a marine fish farm in the Aegean Sea and also, as an early warning exercise, to investigate the presence/absence of the virus in associated nearby farms (n:20) and in hatcheries (n:3). No virus was detected in any of the nearby farms or two hatcheries. However, in one hatchery, betanodavirus was detected in a 160-day-old GSB. The identified betanodavirus was genotyped as reassortant RGNNV/SJNNV and was phylogenetically related to the virus detected in the farm located in the Aegean sea. There have been multiple detections of the RGNNV genotype in Turkish coastal waters; however, the RGNNV/SJNNV genotype has been detected for the first time and it should be an early warning to focus attention on betanodaviruses in Turkish aquaculture.