Probiotics to help reduce the risk of EMS in shrimp

Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS)  technically known as Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome (AHPNS) seems to be the latest challenge affecting shrimp farming. The disease has affected hundreds of farmers in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico. The aetiology of EMS/AHPNS has been determined to be caused by the bacterium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Several extra-chromosomal elements may be the source of the extreme virulence of this bacterium. Recently in a FAO/MARD Technical Workshop one of the recommended measures to reduce the risk of AHPNS was the use of probiotics. In order to assess the effect of the Norel’s probiotic Ecobial Aqua (B. amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940) against the plausible cause of AHPNS (EMS), a number of different Vibrio strains isolated from marine environments were tested. Cells free extracts of B. amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940 were used to test the bactericide effect using the agar diffusion method (Cintas et al., 1995) against: V. alginolyticus CECT 521, V. alginolyticus CECT 586, V. alginolyticus CECT 600, V. harveyi CECT 525, V. harveyi CECT 604, V. harveyi CECT 8408, V. parahaemolyticus CECT 511, V. parahaemolyticus CECT 611, V. parahaemolyticus CECT 5304, V. parahaemolyticus CECT 8407, V. anguillarum CECT 7199.

In this work presented in the last LAQUA14 (Guadalajara, Mexico) Ecobial Aqua showed growth inhibition against all the above listed pathogens. It can be concluded that the product can be a useful tool to prevent the emergence of this lethal shrimp disease.