Shrimp farmers in China's Guangdong province are concerned about how their shrimp production is being affected by Decapod iridescent virus 1 (Div1), reported local news. Div1 was first detected in 2014 and appeared again last Spring and in February this year infecting a quarter of the shrimp production area.

“The infection rate and lethality of the virus are terrifying,” said Wu Jinhong, a shrimp farmer in Da’ao township in Jiangmen City. “It only takes two or three days from detecting the first infection for all shrimp in the pond to be killed.”

The first signs of infection are typically when shrimp begin turning a reddish color before their shells soften and sink to the bottom of ponds, local farmers said.

“As far as we know, besides China, the virus has also appeared in Southeast Asian waters,” said Huang Jie, director-general of the Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific.