White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) poses a significant threat to shrimp. The virus spreads rapidly through aquaculture systems and leads to widespread mortality in shrimp populations. Early detection of WSSV is crucial for aquaculture operators to prevent the virus from spreading unchecked. Implementing timely diagnostic measures enables farmers to take swift action to contain the virus, minimizing its impact on both production and overall farm health. Currently, no field diagnostic test exists that can accurately detect WSSV earlier than 48 hours in an infection cycle.
To address the lack of reliable and rapid field testing for WSSV, Seek Labs innovated the SeekIt™ WSSV Field Kit, a rapid diagnostic kit that detects the presence of WSSV at only 24 hours post-infection, proving a strong alternative to commercial kits that rely on laboratory equipment and specialized training. Seek Labs completed an external validation study of the SeekIt WSSV Field Kit in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Aquatic Animal Health Lab (AAHL). The study compared the SeekIt Field Kit’s ability to detect WSSV in shrimp against AAHL’s established laboratory protocol.
In the independent study, researchers at AAHL tested shrimp infection levels at various timepoints using the SeekIt WSSV Field Kit and AAHL’s established laboratory protocol that relies on commercially available kits and qPCR. At only 24 hours post-infection, AAHL successfully detected WSSV with the SeekIt Field Kit, demonstrating SeekIt’s underlying technology can detect viral loads early in infection lifecycles and as accurately as lab-standardized qPCR assays (see Table 1).
The results of the study highlight the efficacy of the SeekIt Field Kit in detecting WSSV without stringent laboratory conditions or equipment. This demonstrates SeekIt is especially suitable for pond-side diagnostics and can provide aquaculture stakeholders with a cost-effective and timely solution to manage WSSV outbreaks.