The link between environmental stress and disease onset in prawn aquaculture

联邦政府已经制定了到2010年将对虾水产养殖产量增加四倍的目标。一个主要障碍是疾病：20%的产品因病毒疾病而损失并不少见。为了在国际上具有竞争力，澳大利亚需要发展高健康的生产系统。大多数对虾都带有慢性病毒感染，但只有在环境压力下才会出现疾病症状。该项目将确定激活斑节对虾病毒性疾病的环境应激源。结果将被纳入农场管理制度，以最大限度地减少作物因疾病而损失的风险。开发生物标记物作为压力相关风险的指标可能会商业化。

The federal government has set a target for prawn aquaculture production to increase fourfold by 2010. A major barrier is disease: losses of 20% of production to viral diseases are not uncommon. To be internationally competitive, Australia needs to develop high health production systems. Most prawn stock carry chronic viral infections, but only exhibit disease symptoms following environmental stress. This project will identify environmental stressors that activate viral disease in Penaeus monodon. Outcomes will be incorporated into on-farm managerial regimes to minimize risk of crop loss to disease. Development of biomarkers as indicators of stress related risks may be commercialized.