Genetic parameters for resistance to Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) is one of the primary disease concerns for tilapia farming, with mass mortality events and biosecurity restrictions threating aquaculture in several continents. Selective breeding for improved host resistance to TiLV may help to mitigate this problematic disease, but the extent of genetic variation in resistance is not yet known. The objective of the current study was to estimate genetic parameters for host resistance to TiLV in a Nile tilapia breeding population of the Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) strain.