Received: 28-02-2017 / Accepted: 10-04-2017
White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), the causative agent of white spot syndrome in shrimp, has a wide host range includingcrabs, zooplankton (Copepods), molluscs, poultry and polychaete.Ucasp.isa common fiddler living in intertidal land, estuary and sourcewaterused for settling pond of shrimp farmsin Nam Đinh, Nghe An and Quang Ninh. WSSV, an important viral pathogen of the shrimp, can replicate in crustacean species,therefore, it is a potential vector for virus transmission. The major aim of this study was to determine whether WSSV can be replicate on Ucasp and transmitted from Ucasp. to shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) through water environment. Uca sp. wasinfected withWSSV by injecting suspension containing WSSV in dilution 10-2on the second leg. Results showed that, WSSV was detected in infected fiddler in experimentby PCR method after 107 hours of infection. WSSV was transmitted from Ucasp. to shrimp through water environment horizontally after 83 hours of exposure to Ucasp. carrying WSSV. Our findings support the contention that Ucasp. was a potential vector for virus transmissionandcan be a source of WSSV infection of culture shrimp.