PAKISTAN
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Experimental Infection of Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) by Water and Sediment Transfer Between Pacific White Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) and Green Mud Crab (Scylla paramamosain)
 
Pornpawit Tanpichai1,2, Onanong Charoenwai3, Chommanad Sataporn1, Sayamon Srisuwatanasagul4, Apichat Chothirunpanit5, Nuntapon Suksumran5, Hye Jin Jeon6, Bumkeun Kim6, Jee Eun Han1,6* and Patharapol Piamsomboon1*
 

1Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand. 2Aquatic Animals Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mahanakorn University of Technology, Bangkok, 10530, Thailand. 3Graduate Program in Veterinary Science and Technology (VST) International Program, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.4Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.5Chanthaburi Coastal Aquaculture Research and Development Center, Chanthaburi, 22000, Thailand.6College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute for Veterinary Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea

*Corresponding author: jehan@knu.ac.kr (JEH); patharapol.p@chula.ac.th (PP)

Abstract   

Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is an important shrimp pathogen, causing growth retardation syndrome which leads to substantial economic losses worldwide. In this study, we examined the possibility of EHP transmission between Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) and green mud crabs (Scylla paramamosain), a common benthic species in shrimp culture environments. Naturally infected shrimp (with EHP loads ranging from 10² to 10⁶ copies/µL) were used as donors for EHP transmission to EHP-free crabs and shrimp through water and sediment transfer. The recipient shrimp became EHP-positive 7 days post-exposure (dpe) (with EHP loads ranging from 10¹ to 10⁴ copies/µL). Histopathological examination confirmed EHP spores in the hepatopancreatic cells of the recipient shrimp at 7 and 14 dpe. The recipient crabs were EHP-positive after 14 dpe (EHP loads between 10¹ and 10² copies/µL) and the crabs could transmit EHP back to the recipient shrimp (EHP loads ranging from 10¹ to 10² copies/µL) 14 dpe via the same route. Although the crabs tested positive for EHP through PCR and qPCR, no histopathological change was observed. The present study suggests that green mud crabs may act as a mechanical vector for EHP transmission, providing information to enhance biosecurity protocols in shrimp farms to reduce the risk of EHP contamination.

To Cite This Article: Tanpichai P, Charoenwai O, Sataporn C, Srisuwatanasagul S, Chothirunpanit A, Suksumran N, Jeon HJ, Kim B, Han JE and Piamsomboon P, 2025. Experimental infection of Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) by water and sediment transfer between Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) and green mud crab (Scylla paramamosain). Pak Vet J. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2025.126

 
 
   
 

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)
ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)



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