Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays for detection and identification of aquaculture pathogens: current state and perspectives

Since its invention in 2000, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay has been one of the most extensively used molecular diagnostic tools in bio-medical fields due to the rapidity, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness of the technique. This technique has also earned popularity in aquaculture disease diagnosis. Aquaculture, as a result of its rapid intensification and expansion, experiences increased infectious disease occurrences. For maintenance of economic viability, rapid, sensitive and efficient diagnosis of disease causing agents is an important step prior to undertaking effective prevention and control measures in aquaculture. Constraints on time and expertise required for conventional biochemical, serological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques offer avenues in adoption of the LAMP by the aquaculturists at field conditions. This assay has been successfully applied in detection of several bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens causing serious diseases in aquaculture. In this review, we endeavored to accommodate the LAMP methodology with its different recent improvements and an overview of its application for the detection of aquaculture-associated pathogens.