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The white stain virus, which attacks the immunological system of shrimp and was identified in June in a breeding pond in the municipality of Aracati, in the state of Ceará, in the Brazilian Northeast, did not spread to other shrimp breeding properties in the region.
This was the finding of tests carried out by the Diagnostic Center for Salt-Water Shrimp Diseases, at the Ceará Marine Science Institute, using 17 batches of shrimp gathered in 8 municipalities that produce shrimp in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Piauí, and Ceará.
According to the president of the Brazilian Association of Shrimp Producers, Itamar Rocha, the breeders were fearful that the disease might spread, affecting the breeding grounds of Rio Grande do Norte, the Brazilian state that exports the largest amount of shrimp.
The study found that shrimp from the region possessed genetic material of the white stain virus but did not manifest symptoms of the disease.
The infected shrimp do not present any health hazards to consumers, but the virus produces a high mortality rate among the crustaceans, hurting production.
The disease, which decimated Ecuador's shrimp production, was identified in Asia in 1992 and arrived in Brazil in 2004, through the state of Santa Catarina.
Brazil exported 50 thousand tons of shrimp last year, bringing in revenues of US$ 226 million. European markets absorbed 80% of the shrimp exports.
Agência Brasil
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