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Microbiological Investigation of Persistent Mortalities in Litopenaeus vannamei Grown in Low Saline Waters in India
Author(s) -
Sanathkumar Hirekudel,
Ravi Charan,
Padinhatupurayil Suresh Babu,
Mol Mini,
Prasad Jilagam Krishna,
Nayak Binaya Bhusan
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of aquatic animal health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1548-8667
pISSN - 0899-7659
DOI - 10.1080/08997659.2014.902875
Subject(s) - litopenaeus , shrimp , biology , white spot syndrome , aquaculture , penaeus monodon , vibrio , fishery , shellfish , penaeidae , hepatopancreas , veterinary medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , crustacean , aquatic animal , ecology , decapoda , bacteria , fish <actinopterygii> , medicine , genetics
Microbial diseases are a serious hindrance to successful shrimp aquaculture. The Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei is an exotic species recently introduced in India to supplement the failing aquaculture of the Asian tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon due to viral diseases. However, after a brief initial success, the aquaculture of L. vannamei is also experiencing serious problems due to microbial diseases. In this study, we conducted a microbiological investigation into the problem of persistent mortalities in selected L. vannamei farms on the southeastern coast of India. The infected shrimps were positive for the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) by a nested PCR, though no visible white spots were present on the animals. The shrimps were heavily colonized by Vibrio parahemolyticus , which were isolated from the hepatopancreas, gills, and the body surface. The pond water, despite being low saline groundwater, harbored large numbers of V. parahemolyticus and other Vibrio species, and V. parahemolyticus isolated from L. vannamei were resistant to β‐lactam antibiotics and cephalosporins. Our results strongly suggest that the persistent mortalities of L. vannamei were due to a co‐infection by V. parahemolyticus and WSSV. Received December 16, 2013; accepted February 14, 2014