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Scientists have identified a new virus that kills tilapia. Tilapia are a freshwater fish that provide a cheap source of protein to many people in the developing world as well as being heavily imported into the United States. It is known in the Middle East as St. Peter’s Fish as it is believed to be the fish that Jesus used in the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. The research published in the journal mBio – the open access journal of the American Society for Microbiology – shows that the tilapia lake virus has struck populations in Israel, Ecuador and Columbia. The scientists have developed diagnostic tools to recognise infection and are now working on a vaccine to stop the virus from spreading. Professor Ian Lipkin heads the lab that did the genetic analysis of the samples.

(Photo:Tilapia is diseased from tilapia lake virus infection, Ecuador. Credit: Hugh Ferguson)