CIBA Developed Technology for

- NOVA RT- PCR kit for the diagnosis of Viral Nervous Necrosis in
finfish
Background
Viral Nervous Necrosis (VNN) or Viral Encephalopathy and Retinopathy
(VER) is a serious viral disease of finfish caused by Betanodavirus of the family
Nodaviridae. The virus is non-enveloped, icosahedral in shape with a diameter
of approximately 25 to 30 nm and contains two segments (RNA1 and RNA2) of
positive sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) with the RNA2 segment containing
the sequence for the viral coat protein. Disease has been reported from more
than 35 fish species from tropical to temperate climates from most continents
around the world, including India, and most reports of disease have been
associated with species in aquaculture facilities. Clinical disease is most
commonly observed in larval and juvenile finfish, but adult fish surviving
infection can become asymptomatic carriers. Mortality rates of up to 100% are
most commonly seen in larval fish and tend to decrease as the size of the
infected fish increases. The most common mode of transmission appears to be
vertically from sub-clinically infected broodstock to progeny during spawning in
hatchery facilities.
The RT-PCR Kit Technology
CIBAs - NOVA RT-PCR kit is a molecular diagnostic kit developed for
early detection of viral nervous necrosis (VNN) caused by betanodavirus in
finfish. The kit offers a rapid, specific and sensitive detection system based on
the amplification of the coat protein gene of the virus genome segment RNA2.
The assay has been validated extensively using field samples from clinically
and sub-clinically infected fish from wild and culture facilities across the

country. The kit can be used for routine diagnosis of disease, besides as a
management tool to screen broodstock, larvae, and even trash fish used as
feed in fish hatcheries and selective breeding programme for pathogen free
stock development in freshwater, brackishwater and marine ecosystem. The kit
is the first of its kind indigenously developed in the country and is a good
substitute for imported technology in terms of cost effectiveness and easy
availability.

Betanodavirus assay (- NOVA) prototype kit

482 bp

500 bp

Lane M
Lane 1
Lane 2
Lane 3
Lane 4
Lane 5

100 bp ladder
Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3
Positive control
Negative control

Diagnosis of VNN using Betanodavirus assay (- NOVA) kit

(Alternate photo of the kit

Only one may be selected

Technology Transfer and Commercialization

The above technology is available for transfer and commercialization

as per the ICAR published guidelines on commercialization, which can
accessed

at

the

website

(http://www.icar.org.in/miscel/icar-

ipmttcguide.pdf).

CIBA is looking for entrepreneurs to design and scale up a marketable

diagnostic kit for field level application in fish hatcheries, fish farms, PCR /
quarantine labs and research institutions.
For details please contact:
Director
CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF BRACKISHWATER AQUACULTURE

(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)

75,Santhome High Road, R.A.Puram, Chennai 600 028

Phone : 91-44-24617523 (Direct) 24616948, 24610565, 24610311
Fax No: 91-44-24610311 E- mail: director@ciba.res.in