Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University

SHRIMP DISEASE DIAGNOSIS LABORATORY
VACCINE RESEARCH CENTRE-VIRAL VACCINES
CENTRE FOR ANIMAL HEALTH STUDIES, TANUVAS, CHENNAI -51

Shrimp disease diagnosis laboratory of Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University was started in the year 2000 to extend diagnostic services at an affordable cost to the aquafarming community.

Objectives

To help the shrimp farmers for the selection of healthy shrimp seeds by testing the general health and activity of the seeds following standard tests.
To help the shrimp hatcheries in selecting the virus-free shrimp broodstocks for seed production following advanced diagnostic techniques like Polymerase chain reaction and Dot blot hybridization.
To serve the shrimp farmers by checking their shrimp seeds for the presence of viral pathogens like white spot virus (WSV), Monodon baculo virus (MBV) at an affordable cost and to certify their seeds for a disease-free status.
To monitor the white spot viral disease in shrimp culture ponds, to enable early detection of the disease and to adopt suitable measures to save the crop.
To study the seasonal fluctuations in the incidence of white spot viral disease in wild caught broodstock. This information would help the shrimp hatcheries to collect broodstocks during months when there is less incidence of white spot viral infection.

Activities of the lab

The major activities of shrimp disease diagnosis laboratory are

Diagnostic services
Training
Technology development (Development of cost-effective diagnostic assays / kits)

Diagnostic Services

General health assessment of shrimp seeds by microscopic analysis and stress tests. (Whitespot Syndrome virus, Monodon baculovirus and Hepatopancreatic parvovirus)
Assessing the disease-free status of shrimp broodstocks, post larvae and juveniles by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Microbiological and Physico-chemical analysis of water samples from aquafarmers and hatcheries

Training

The following trainings are being offered on need basis

Training	Duration	Fees
Shrimp seed quality Testing methods	3 Days	Rs.1500/-
Shrimp seed quality assessment techniques (includes PCR)	5 Days	Rs.5000

Technologies Developed

Nested PCR diagnostic kit for the detection of Whitespot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) in shrimp (Patent filed)
Nested PCR diagnostic kit for the detection of Hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV) in shrimp (Patent filed)

Research facilities

The research facilities may be utilized by the life sciences students for their academic research programme on specific request (Fee charged –Rs. 10,000)

Test	Sample	Fee
Diagnosis of WSSV / MBV / HPV by nested PCR, MBV and HPV by microscopic observation & seed quality assessment	Broodstocks, Larvae, Post larvae and juveniles	Rs.1000/-
Diagnosis of MBV / HPV by microscopic observation and seed quality assessment	Broodstocks, post larvae and Juveniles	Rs.250/-
Physical and Chemical analysis of water	Water from shrimp farms and hatcheries.	Rs.250/-
Microbiological Analysis (Total plate count, total Vibrio count, antibiotic sensitivity test etc.,)	Shrimp / water	Rs.1000/-

Detection of WSSV by nested PCR	Detection of MBV by microscopic test

Faculty

Dr. K. Saravanabava, Professor and Head
Dr. A. Uma, Assistant Professor (SS)