December 18, 2013

Thailand's shrimp production to drop 40% due to EMS

Thailand's shrimp production will fall by 40% caused by the early mortality syndrome (EMS) but despite scientists' discovery of the bacteria, they still don't know how to stop it.

When US researcher Donald Lightner discovered what was causing EMS earlier this year, there was a sigh of relief at many of Asia's biggest shrimp farms. First discovered in China in 2009, within two years EMS had spread to Vietnam and Thailand, the world's biggest exporter of shrimp.

Many farmers saw much of their harvest wiped out and became increasingly unwilling to repopulate their ponds.

Lightner identified the pathogen responsible, a unique strain of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacterium. His team at the University of Arizona is one of several groups now working to find where the bacterium is hiding.

The National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) in Thailand is also working to eradicate the EMS disease. The bacteria live everywhere in the tropical marine environment, according to BIOTEC's Tim Flegal.