Efforts to control AHPND have been hampered by the lack of a specific and rapid detection method that could be used to determine the reservoirs of the causative bacterial isolates, to insure their absence in shrimp broodstock and post larvae, to monitor shrimp during cultivation and to aid research on possible control measures.

In Thailand and Taiwan since 2012, our two groups have been conducting cooperative research on possible PCR methods to detect isolates of AHPND bacteria. On 5 December 2013 we obtained the sequence comparison information that allowed us to prepare several test PCR detection methods, and we have spent the last 20 days validating them. Today we are announcing the best method we have found so far.

In Thailand, this research has been carried out through cooperation among researchers at Centex Shrimp (Mahidol-BIOTEC cooperative center) and  the Department of Public Health both at Mahidol University and theAquaculture Business Research Center, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University. The work has been supported since 2011 by contributory funds from many sources including the Agriculture Research and Development Agency, the National Research Council of Thailand, the Thai Commission for Higher Education, Mahidol University, the National Science and Technology Development Agency, the Patani Shrimp Farmers Club, the Surathani Shrimp Farmers Club, the Thai Frozen Foods Association, Charoen Pokphand Company, SyAqua Co. Ltd. and Thai Union Co. Ltd. In Taiwan Province of China, the research has also been supported from several sources including the Taiwan National Science Council, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), National Taiwan University (NTU) and Unipresident Enterprises Corporation.

Please download the full announcement for details below.