The Current trend in aquaculture development is towards increased Intensification and Commercialization of aquatic production. The likelihood of major disease problems occurring increases as aquaculture activities intensify and expand. Thus, the aquaculture industry has been overwhelmed with its share of diseases and problems caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites and other undiagnosed and emerging pathogens.
The Below are the Medicines used in the Fish and Shrimp Culture:
- Aquakleen
- BKC - Benzal Konium Chloride, for controlling bacterial disease
- bleaching
- EDTA
- Efinol - Stress resistance
- Formalin - control Protozoan disease
- Water Clear
- Omicide - drugs for disease treatment
Strategies for combating diseases in Asian aquaculture
1. International codes
In order to minimize the risks of pathogens/ diseases associated with aquatic animal movements, there are a number of existing global instruments, agreements, codes of practice and guidelines like OIE's Aquatic Animal Health Code, ICES, EIFAC etc
2. Regional guidelines
Because many countries in the Asian region share common social, economic, industrial, environmental, biological and geographical characteristics, a regionally adopted health management programme is considered a practical approach. Some of the provisions in the current international protocols are not always practically applicable to the diseases in Asian region. Therefore, it was deemed important to focus on the Regional species and diseases affecting those species.
3. National strategies on aquatic animal health management
The National Strategy framework includes elements such as national coordination, legislation and policy, list of pathogens, institutional resources, diagnostics, health certification and quarantine, surveillance and reporting, disease zoning, contingency planning, import risk analysis, capacity building, awareness building and communication, farmer/private sector involvement, financial resources, monitoring and evaluation and regional cooperation.
4. Diagnostics, therapy and information technology
Because of the scale of resource expertise and infrastructure required (e.g. training, facilities, resources) for disease diagnostics recommended the use of three levels of diagnostics:
- I: field observation of the animal and the environment, clinical examination.
- II: laboratory observations using parasitology, bacteriology, mycology and histopathology.
- III: laboratory observations using virology, electron microscopy, molecular biology and immunology.
The three levels have broad-scale application to disease detection and diagnostics. Therefore, countries are encouraged to move from one level to the next as capacities are improved and as resources become available.
5. Biosecurity
Biosecurity programmes have a strong scientific basis and use risk assessment to evaluate the most significant disease hazards, their possible routes of entry, the likelihood of them becoming established, the possibilities of spread and risk management approaches in order to ensure appropriate protection. Risk analysis form aquatic animal trade provides a science-based, justifiable means to estimate the risks posed to aquaculture and aquatic biodiversity due to pathogen introduction or, in a more specific form, the risk to a particular farm unit.
6. Surveillance and reporting
The application of disease surveillance and reporting to aquatic animal health and aquaculture is complicated by factors such as the wide ranges of socio-economic and technological development in many countries, the diversity of species cultured, the range and complexity of environments, the nature of containment, the intensity of practice, and the variety of culture systems and types of management.
7. Emergency response to disease epizootics
The most significant disease emergencies include that of EUS, shrimp viral diseases (WSD, YHD, IHHN, etc.), Akoya pearl oyster mortalities, and most recently, KHV and abalone mortalities. The important lessons and valuable insights are to be learned from dealing with those epizootics