Tim Fregel, a researcher and adviser at the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec), said the breakthrough was due to cooperation between Thai and Taiwanese researchers.
The test can detect the fatal AHPND bacteria in shrimps within three hours, a huge improvement on the current method which takes around three weeks.
Prof Fregel said the new test for AHPND bacteria decodes DNA collected from samples of sediment, shrimp food or shrimp tissue.
A comparison is then made to see if the DNA sequence matches that of the AHPND bacteria.
The current method not only takes longer, but is more complicated. It starts with collecting shrimp bacteria, cultivating them and releasing them to the shrimps, then waiting to see if they die.
If the shrimps die, an outbreak of AHPND bacteria can be confirmed.
"The longer we take to confirm an outbreak, the bigger the loss for the farmer, as they can't take preventive measures. The rapid test is both a precaution and a prevention against outbreaks," he said.
Since the EMS outbreak in 2012, Thai shrimp farming has halved in productivity, not due to shrimps dying, but because farmers cut investments to prevent losses.
EMS spread from China in 2009 to Vietnam by 2010, to Malaysia by 2011 and to Thailand by 2012. Efforts to control the spread of AHPND were hampered by the lack of specific and rapid detection methods.
The rapid test is 99% accurate so far. More research and development is needed before it is 100% accurate, Prof Fregel said.
The research team has been working on the test since 2011 with support from the Department of Public Health at Mahidol University, the Aquaculture Business Research Centre, the faculty of fisheries at Kasetsart University and Burapha University, and shrimp farmer clubs in the South.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States (1995–2025). In parallel with the nation's progress in international economic integration, bilateral seafood trade has followed a remarkably impressive growth trajectory, expanding from an initial scale of just tens of millions of US dollars to nearly $2 billion annually. This growth has positioned the United States as Vietnam’s largest seafood export market for many consecutive years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On December 12, 2025, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Export (VASEP) issued document 231/CV-VASEP regarding strengthening measures to combat IUU fishing and working with the Government to lift the EC's IUU yellow card warning.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is easy to farm and provides high economic and nutritional value, making it a sought-after export commodity in many countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports in the first 10 months of 2025 recorded significant progress, reaching more than USD 9.5 billion, up 15% year-on-year. This result reflects the sector’s persistent efforts amid a highly volatile market, especially policy shocks from the US Although signs of slowdown emerged in the third quarter due to countervailing taxes, key product groups still maintained strong momentum and created a foundation for full-year exports to reach USD 11 billion.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s agreement with the United States on a framework for reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade—reached during the 2025 ASEAN Summit in Malaysia—has generated strong optimism for Vietnamese exports, including tuna. Numerous positive points in the joint statement have raised high expectations for Vietnamese export goods, but turning these expectations into tangible benefits remains a long and challenging journey.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) At the conference on “Linking the Production and Consumption Chain of Ca Mau Crab 2025,” Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee Lê Văn Sử posed a central question: how to shift the province’s crab exports toward official trade channels, instead of relying heavily on small-scale border trade with China as currently practiced.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The whitefish market in Japan is showing a clear divergence among supplying countries, in which Vietnam continues to affirm its role as a stable and high-potential exporter. Vietnam currently ranks third after the US and Russia in whitefish export value to Japan. Thanks to tariff incentives and the ability to meet Japan’s strict standards, Vietnamese pangasius continues to record a stable and positive growth trend.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The People's Committee of Ca Mau Province has just issued a plan to expand the super-intensive, low-water-exchange, biosecure white-leg shrimp farming model (RAS-IMTA) for whiteleg shrimp farming to a scale of 1,500 hectares, aiming to develop high-tech, sustainable and environmentally friendly shrimp farming.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Sa Giang Import-Export Joint Stock Company (HNX: SGC) plans to issue over 7.1 million shares to raise nearly 465 Billion VND for Hoan Ngoc M&A Deal.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to Rabobank, global tilapia production is forecast to exceed 7 million tons in 2025, driven by a strong recovery in major producing countries including China, Indonesia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Among them, Vietnam is emerging as a potential tilapia supplier in the global supply chain, capitalizing on market fluctuations to expand production and exports.
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