Two research groups in Japan have discovered a new tool for diagnosing early mortality syndrome (EMS) in shrimp
Not only can the new diagnostic method detect the bacteria, but can also differentiate between bacteria that carries the disease and benign bacteria with 100 percent accuracy, according to researchers.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Japan Science and Technology Agency announced the discovery of the diagnostic method in July 2014.
The disease has been reportedly blamed for causing damage in billions of US dollars to the farmed shrimp industry throughout Southeast Asia. Last year, scientists determined that an infected version of the vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria was the root cause.
The new method is part of a joint project ‘Development of Aquaculture Technology for Food Security and Food Safety in the Next Generation.’
The project is being carried out by Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences and National Research Institute of Aquaculture in Japan. In Thailand, department of fisheries, Kasetsart University, Chulalongkorn University and Walailak University are doing the research.
