You can check the pond water or pond dirt. But the best way is to check the potential carriers around your culture environment. In the inlet water system or the sedimentation pond, we recommend sampling some shrimps (not only the culture species but also the wild species) to check for WSSV. In our experience, the crabs are the best indicators of the WSSV risk around your environment. You can sample crabs inside the ponds, at the beach, even in the fresh water nearby. Any moderate or severe infected carriers (in the replication form) may transmit this disease to the healthy shrimps.

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Once the existence of the viral infection is confirmed in a farm, it usually undergoes quarantine or sacrifice of infected ponds in order to prevent further contamination to other parts of the farm. Then, it is vital to establish a viral control station for monitoring and screening. In most cases, a PCR lab is the most practical and popular option for this operation.

Early studies have shown that IMNV can be transmitted vertically and horizontally. Based on this information, the virus can be potentially transmitted from broodstocks to nauplii, from live feed, other animals, cannibalism,  sharing tools, etc. When a virus is that easily carried into the culture environment, all potential carriers are suggested to be screened and those infected with the disease can be discharged. To prevent vertical infection, all the stock animals must be screened. The ponds must be only stocked with virus-free PLs. And to block the horizontal infection, good management practices will eventually control the disease.

Since there is no effective treatment for IMNV, we can only protect our farms and crops by preventing the disease. We also need to start building up knowledge about it such as the source of this pathogen by screening the waterborne crustaceous animals and plankton, and the relationship between the viral load and the symptom to determine the timing of harvesting. This knowledge will help to have successful IMNV-free seasons in the future.

The key to a successful prevention is to take action as fast as possible. When the epidemic reaches out of control, there is nothing that can be humanly done.

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