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Mangalore-based College of Fisheries has developed a diagnostic kit for the detection of ‘white spot virus’ in shrimps.
Addressing presspersons here on Friday, K M Shankar, Dean of the college, said ‘white spot virus’ is widespread in the world. In India, it causes an estimated annual loss of ₹500 crore in shrimp culture industry.
The farmer-level kit is ideal for diagnosis and will cost farmers ₹40-50, whereas the laboratory-level diagnosis costs ₹500 a test.
Stating that ‘white spot’ viral attack is contagious and kills shrimps quickly, he said this kit would help in the early warning of the virus attack.
Developed by the Department of Aquaculture of the college, the technology was evaluated in shrimp farms in India and outside since 2006. The technology was developed with funding assistance from the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India, Shankar said.
The kit can be preserved for four months in a refrigerator, he said.
Named RapiDot kit, the technology will be transferred to a French multinational company — Virbac Animal Health Care — in Mangalore on March 8.
S Ayyappan, Secretary of Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, will hand over the technology to Virbac Animal Health Care, he said.
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