Isolation of Vibrio spp. from Penaeus monodon (Fabricius) with red disease syndrome

From January 1990 to June 1993, 59% of the total juvenile to adult shrimp (Penaeus monodon) submitted for diagnosis at the Fish Health Section of the Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines were diagnosed to have red disease syndrome. Red disease syndrome is characterized by the reddening of the shrimp body. The aetiology of the disease is unknown. This paper reports for the first time the isolation of four Vibrio phenotypes, namely, Vibrio harveyi, V. parahaemolyticus, V. fluvialis and Vibrio sp. from shrimps with red disease. Pathogenicity test shows that injection with V. parahaemolyticus and V. harveyi can produce the characteristic red discoloration in healthy shrimp. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.