We can now confirm that EMS has been found and identified in India. However most of the reported disease issues have centered around white spot, which has been more visible.
MPEDA, the Marine Products Export Authority, has been working in a crisis mode for at least a month as initial reports surfaced, and were subsequently confirmed by tests.
The confirmations that the disease that appeared was EMS was made by Indian government testing authorities.
The initial surveys did not show large amounts of EMS present. In the first 200 sites sampled, EMS was positively identified in two of them.
MPEDA was able to trace the brood stock for both these positive samples back to Thailand and halted imports.
In Kochi, MPEDA has now announced a series of measures to prevent the spread of EMS.
First, MPEDA is halting all stocking of new shrimp ponds after November. This means that until the moratorium is lifted, no shrimp will be available after February, 2014 for an undetermined period.