Shrimp is a high-protein animal food commodity highly traded across the globe. To meet the increasing global demand, shrimp farming is emerging as one of the fastest-growing food-producing sectors in the world. Shrimp aquaculture is pivotal to ensuring nutritional security for people in both developed and developing countries and support the livelihood and jobs of the global population.

Malaysia is presently one of the ninth-largest shrimp exporters in the global arena. In Malaysia, the shrimp culture production mainly comes from whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) and giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii). 2017 data showed that Malaysia produced a total of 84 thousand tonnes of shrimp in a year. Aquaculture production of shrimp in Malaysia is threading an increasing trend every year, which contributes to about 55% of the total shrimp production.

Over intensification of farming compromises the quality of shrimps, increases the prevalence of infectious diseases and renders the aquaculture business fragile. In the aquaculture industry, economic losses associated with disease outbreaks have been estimated by the FAO to approximately 20% of the value of world aquaculture production. In particular, bacterial diseases have brought socio-economic and environmental unsustainability to the shrimp aquaculture industry during the last decades.

AHPND is a relatively new disease affecting shrimps. This novel disease was first reported in China in 2009. Following that, subsequent cases were reported in:

• Vietnam (2010)

• Malaysia (2011)

• Thailand (2012)

• Mexico (2013)

• the Philippines (2015)

• Australia (2016)

• South America (2016)

• Bangladesh (2019)

• the United States (2019).

AHPND in shrimp aquaculture has escalated since late 2013, and the disease progressively spread like an epidemic across Asia and eventually the Western Hemisphere, resulting in a devastating economic impact to the affected regions.