Abstract
Since 2011, a new syndrome has struck the shrimp industry in India. The syndrome was such that, the farmed shrimp in the affected ponds show different mortality patterns which results in unusual symptoms with no co-relation to any other reported diseases. In running mortality syndrome affected farms mortality percentage reaching upto 50-70% and as a result of this several farmers have partially harvested in the middle of crop and some farmers were closed down their farming operations for two or three seasons. The symptoms includes cut antennae, uropods turn red in colour and later the hepatopancreas begins will turn reddish yellow; finally entire body turns dark red in colour. A continuous internal mortality of shrimp was observed in affected ponds. The dead shrimp settle down in the bottom of the affected ponds and do not come surface. Mortality was observed only during inter- moult stage. Mortality rate is relatively more in low saline ponds. White or yellow faecal matter was noticed in the gut of affected shrimps. This condition is known as Running Mortality Syndrome (RMS).The present paper reports the incidences of Running Mortality Syndrome (RMS) in Litopenaeus vannamei culture systems in Andhra Pradesh.
