Diseases of shrimps and natural methods to protect their health

Abstract

Shrimp farming is an economically important part of aquaculture. Shrimps constitute the largest portion of shellfish intended for human consumption. According to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), viral diseases pose the most serious threat to shrimp farming. There are currently six viral and two bacterial diseases on the OIE list. The most serious viral diseases are white spot disease (WSD), Taura syndrome (TS), infection with yellow head virus genotype 1 (YHV), infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis (IHHN), infectious myonecrosis (IMN) and white tail disease (WTD), whereas the most dangerous bacterial diseases are acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) and necrotizing hepatopancreatitis (NHP). All these diseases result in high mortality, thus limiting shrimp production and causing large economic losses. Therefore, effective preparations are constantly sought to control infectious diseases in shrimps. Probiotics and immunostimulants, thanks to their demonstrated antibacterial and antiviral effects, as well their positive impact on the immune system, may play a crucial role in protecting the health of shrimps.