The cause of Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) in shrimp has been identified.
On May 1, 2013, the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) announced that Dr. Donald Lighter, a pathologist at the University of Arizona, had discovered the cause of Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS), a disease that costs the global shrimp farming industry billions of dollars annually.
On May 1, 2013, the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) announced that Dr. Donald Lighter, a pathologist at the University of Arizona, had discovered the cause of Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS), a disease that costs the global shrimp farming industry billions of dollars annually.
The cause of EMS syndrome has been identified - Photo: Phan Thanh Cuong
Lighter's team also showed that Early Mortality Syndrome in shrimp is caused by a single strain of a fairly common bacterium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which has been infected by a virus known as a bacteriophage that produces a potent toxin. The bacteria are orally transmitted, live in the shrimp's digestive tract, and then produce toxins that destroy tissue and cause dysfunction of the shrimp's hepatopancreas, the digestive organ.
Research also continues with the development of diagnostic tests for the rapid detection of Early Mortality Syndrome (IRS), enabling improved management in hatcheries and ponds. The research also allows for a better assessment of the risks involved in importing frozen shrimp or other products from countries affected by IRS.
Several countries have also implemented policies to prevent the import of frozen shrimp and other products from countries affected by EMS. Dr. Lighter also stated that frozen shrimp can be considered a low-risk source of infection for wild shrimp and the environment because shrimp infected with EMS are typically very small and are not traded internationally. There have also been attempts to transmit the disease using frozen tissue, but without success, Dr. Lighter added.
Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) began appearing in Vietnam in 2010 and intensified from March 2011, causing significant losses to shrimp farmers. In 2012, over 100,776 hectares of brackish water shrimp farms in Vietnam were affected by disease, including acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome, white spot disease, yellow head disease, etc. |
According to (Vietnam Fisheries) - LC
