This report was prepared by the 18th Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health (AG) that met at Bangkok, Thailand on 18-19 November 2019. The group discussed OIE standards and global issues, review of regional disease status, reports on the aquatic animal health programmes of partner agencies, and disease reporting.

From a survey of wild, adult Penaeus monodon of potential broodstock size from the Indian Ocean in April 2018, we obtained positive nested RT-PCR test results for infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV) and positive nested PCR test results for DIV1. As a confirmatory step, a second round of nested PCR tests was carried out using new, in-house primers designed from regions of the respective viral genomes distant from the target regions used in the first round of tests. These results suggested the possibility that the grossly normal, PCR-positive captured P. monodon specimens might be infected with the respective viruses at the carrier level. If so, they might serve as potential vehicles for introduction of IMNV and/or DIV1 into crustacean culture systems, especially if they were used in hatcheries for production of PL for distribution to shrimp farmers without proper precautions in place.

We carried out laboratory injection challenges that employed extracts prepared from shrimp naturally-infected with decapod iridovirus 1 (DIV1). We found that diseased shrimp from the injection trials showed pathognomonic lesions for DIV1 in the hematopoietic tissue that matched those reported for DIV1 in P. vannamei from China (Qiu et al. 2017. Scientific Reports. 7). In addition, we also found distinctive lesions in the lymphoid organ that could be used as an additional indicator in confirming diagnosis of DIV1 disease. Also, the lesions from shrimp challenged with the 10x dilution were more severe than those from 100x dilution, and for some shrimp in the 100x dilution, the lesions were very clear in the LO but absent in the HPT. Altogether, the results suggested that histology of the HPT and LO could be used together to help in the diagnosis of DIV1 in conjunction with RT-PCR, amplicon sequencing and in situ hybridization (ISH) analysis. This is particularly important in confirming the presence of virulent isolates of DIV1 in new geographical locations.

The 83rd edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease report contains information from twelve governments. The foreword discusses the upcoming 11th Symposium on Diseases in Asian Aquaculture (DAA 11), which will be held from 29 September to 2 October 2020, at the Borneo Convention Center, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

In this issue:

Join us for the aquaculture event of the decade! 18th Meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health; New Director General of the Department of Fisheries, Thailand; Thailand holds National Sea Bass Fair; Tuskfish CMS 2.0 is available; Regional consultations on strengthening aquaculture governance and demographic changes in fishing communities; INFOFISH World Shrimp Conference and Exposition.

The 11th Symposium on Diseases in Asian Aquaculture (DAA11) marks 30 years since the Fish Health Section - Asean Fisheries Society (FHS-AFS) establishment and it will be celebrated in Malaysia. Local hosts, the Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DOF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry together with the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Sarawak (MANRED) will be organising the event in cooperation with the FHS-AFS.

The ASEAN Regional Technical Consultation on Aquatic Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems for Effective Management of Transboundary Disease Outbreaks in Southeast Asia was held from 20-22 August 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. The consultation discussed the status of and/or need for aquatic emergency preparedness and response systems for effective management of transboundary disease outbreaks in Southeast Asia. Issues were addressed through country reports, technical presentations and a workshop.

EHP or Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei is a fungal microsporidian parasite that infects the hepatopancreas (hp) of tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and whiteleg shrimp (P. vannamei) in Thailand and results in slow growth and, in chronic infections, mortalities. EHP is also known from Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Venezuela and Vietnam. This fact sheet provides information on the EHP life cycle, signs of infection, diagnosis and management in both hatcheries and growout, as well technical contacts for further information.

The 82nd edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease report contains information from eleven governments. The foreword welcomes Dr Huang Jie, NACA's new Director General, a health specialist that has previously participated in the Asia-Pacific Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health.

The Advisory Group (AG) is a body of technical experts that meets annually to provide advice to NACA member governments on aquatic animal health management. The group is drawn from academia, the private sector and government. The role of the AG is to review disease trends in the region, identify emerging threats and developments in global aquatic disease issues and standards, evaluate the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting Programme operated by NACA/FAO/OIE and regional governments, and to provide guidance on strategies to improve aquatic animal health management. This year’s meeting took place from 18-19 November at the Amari Don Muang Airport Hotel in Bangkok.