Largemouth bass virus (LMBV) is a single-molecule linear doublestranded DNA (dsDNA) virus belonging to the genus ranavirus of the family Iridoviridae (Deng et al., 2011;Zhu et al., 2020). LMBV causes >60% mortality in largemouth bass and has been reported from different corners of the world (Deng et al., 2011;Woodland et al., 2002;Zhao et al., 2020). Some parts of China and the Americas, as well as parts of Europe, are affected by frequent LMBV outbreaks (Boonthai et al., 2018;Zhao et al., 2020). LMBV infection has been further expanded with the broader culture and trade of largemouth bass worldwide, thereby increasing the need for antiviral strategies against LMBV.