Up to 900 million breeding shrimp have died in the southern Vietnam province of Tra Vinh, causing local farmers initial losses of VND1 trillion (US$48 million).
The dead shrimp accounted for 50 per cent of the total in the province, according to the provincial Agricultural and Rural Development Department.
The shrimp, which were from 15-45 days old, died of the infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), reported the department.
Uncertainty over where the shrimp originated from could also be a factor, said Pham Minh Truyen, deputy director of the department.
Only 37 per cent of the shrimp had been through local quarantine stations located in the districts of Chau Thanh and Duyen Hai since the start of this year, Truyen said.
More than 8,000 local farmers raised this species of shrimp, which were believed to have been purchased from the central provinces, he said, adding solutions to curb the disease and to deal with loans that local shrimp farmers had taken out to raise shrimp would be addressed at a meeting today.
In the short term, authorised agencies have ordered local farmers to put a temporary halt on breeding activities until the situation is under control.
According to a Vietnam News Agency reporter in the province, the situation is the worst that farmers in the province have experienced in five years.
Around 1.8 billion breeding shrimp are raised across 23,000ha in the districts of Cau Ngang, Chau Thanh, Duyen Hai and Tra Cu.
2009 Viet Nam News