Analysis of Pathogens in Bait Aquatic Organisms Distributed in the Domestic Market and Assessment of Infectiousness in Frozen Products

With the increasing fishing population, there is a growing demand for bait, leading to an expansion in the use of baitfish. However, there is a concern that baitfish carrying diseases may introduce infections into domestic water systems. In this study, various samples of baitfish, crustaceans, annelids, and mollusks were analyzed for the presence of 21 diseases registered in the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Aquatic Animal Health Code. The disease analysis results revealed the detection of White spot syndrome viruses (WSSV) and Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in certain shrimp samples. WSSV and VpAHPND were detected 5 out of 10 analysis, with detection rates ranging from 3% to 100%. The study also examined the detection rates of these diseases in case of positive reactions. To assess the infectivity of WSSV, artificial infection experiments were conducted. The results of this research can serve as foundational data for the establishment of preventive measures against diseases associated with baitfish in aquaculture.