Causative agent, diagnosis and management of white spot disease in shrimp : a review

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is the pathogen behind white spot disease (WSD) in shrimp and many other crustaceans. It is a highly contagious virus capable of causing total mortality in 3-10 days of outbreak in normal culture conditions. Since the first report of occurrence in China and Taiwan between 1991 and 1992, WSD outbreak caused tremendous losses at farm level throughout the world. Most of the published reviews on WSSV emphasize advanced genetic studies and biosecurity measures in terms of disease management. Recently, some new technologies such as greenhouse, polyculture, biofloc and minimal water exchange have been proposed for WSD management, which is the trigger for this review. However, further research is needed on those new technologies enhancing their efficient application