This presentation highlights the symptoms of shrimp white feces disease, possible causes, and suggests possible prevention and treatments.

1. THE GOLD COIN GROUP
White Feces Disease,
Prevention and Treatment
.
Poh Yong Thong
10-11, April 2018
Songkhla, Thailand

2. Agenda
• What is white feces disease?
• Findings: pre 2014 & post 2014
• Possible causes
• Possible prevention
*Prevention is better than cure
*Feed Management
*Functional Feed (Sanocore GM, Nutriad)
• Treatment

3. What is White Feces Disease?

7. Field signs of white feces syndrome
(WFS)
 Color: white, somehow yellow
 Floating fecal strings, can be found in tray
 Mass of vermiform bodies that superficially
resembled gregarines (protozoan
endoparasites)
 Severely affected ponds: survival reduce 20-30%
compared to normal pond.
 Decreased in feed consumption and growth rate
reduced as ADG lesser than 0.1g/day compared
to 0.2g/day in normal ponds.
Siriporn etc. 2014

8. Balai Layanan Usaha Produksi Perikanan Budidaya (BLUPPB) Karawang bekerja sama
dengan Shrimp Club Indonesia (SCI) wilayah Jawa Barat serta Direktorat Kesehatan Ikan
dan Lingkungan mengadakan workshop mengenai Pengendalian Penyakit Berak Putih
(White Feces Disease) pada Budidaya Udang. Workshop dilaksanakan pada tanggal 24
September 2014

9. Dr. Arief Taslihan BBAP Jepara
WFD : Sumbawa, Banyuwangi, Rembang, Jepara, Purworejo
Hepatopancreas whitish and soft

10. Normal hepatopancreas Hepatopancreas with WFD
Dr. Arief Taslihan BBAP Jepara

11. What are the causes of White Feces Disease?

12. Pre 2014 Findings

13. 2010, Chalor Limsuwan reported

14. Somboon, M.; Purivirojkul, W.; Limsuwan, C.; Chuchird, N.
Kasetsart University Fisheries Research Bulletin 2012 Vol. 36 No. 1 pp.
7-15
Chanthaburi province, eastern Thailand from June to December 2010
Results showed that total bacteria and Vibrio spp. found in
haemolymph and intestine were significantly higher in diseased shrimp
(P<0.05) than in healthy shrimp. Seven species of Vibrio spp. were
identified: V. vulnificus, V. fluvialis, V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus,
V. mimicus, V. cholerae (non01) and Photobacterium damselae (V.
damselae). Gregarine parasites were found in only 2% of all sampled
shrimp (diseased and healthy). Histopathological examination in
severely affected shrimp revealed diffused haemocyte encapsulation
and dilated hepatopancreatic tubules accompanied by necrosis.
2012

15. Ha, in 2011, reported that the causative
agent of white feces is EHP (Enterocytozoon
hepatopenaei), a microsporidian
2011, Vietnam

16. Dr Flegel et. al….
Finding in 2014….

18. (Rontok) Peeld away due to bacterial
toxin?

19. ATM
= Aggregated Transformed Microvilli

20. Light microscopy (LM) of squash mounts and stained smears from fresh HP
tissue revealed that the vermiform bodies are almost transparent with widths
and diameters proportional to the HP tubule lumens in which they occur.
Despite vermiform appearance, they show no cellular structure
These internal membranes were shown to arise from transformed microvilli that
peeled away from HP tubule epithelial cells and then aggregated in the tubule
lumen – hence ATM (Aggregated Transformed Microvilli)
The cause of ATM is currently unknown, but formation by loss of microvilli and
subsequent cell lysis indicate that their formation is a pathological process.
If sufficiently severe, they may retard shrimp growth and may predispose shrimp
to opportunistic pathogens.
.
Visanu Boonyawiwat,
Warachin Gangnonngiw,
Chaowanee Laosutthipong,
Jindanan Hiranchan,
Timothy W. Flegel
x
Published: June 9, 2014

21. Evolution of ATM / WFS / EMS ?
• When aggregated transformed microvilli (ATM) is severe, it can lead to formation
of white fecal strings in shrimp (WFS).
• WFS usually occurs from 2 months of cultivation onward, it may be accompanied
by high mortality. However, ATM sometimes occur together with other shrimp
HP diseases like EMS, vibrosis and parasites (i.e microsporidium).
• It may significantly that the increase in prevalence of ATM has been coincidental
with the increased in EMS outbreak. Although this might suggest a possible
causal association, there has been also coincidental increased prevalence of HP
microsporidium with EMS.
• EMS bacterials produce toxin (regulated by QS) that can cause sloughing of HP
tubule epithelial cells (i.e EMS) , and it may be asked whether the same toxin at
low dosages may cause the formation of ATM???
• WFD >>>>EMS???

22. Author belief:
•White Feces due to bacterial pathogen**

23. The Intensive pond environment
# Artificial, intensive, 200 x more stress!
(1 pc/2 m2 vs 100 pc /m2)
# Big sewage tank, Very Dirty
# Full of pathogenic bacteria

24. The hepatopancreas is the main organ of the shrimp’s digestive system responsible
for digestion, absorption and storage of nutrients. Esophagus (E), gastric mill (GM),
hepatopancreas (HP), mid gut (MG), hind gut (HG), and anus (A).

25. Health of Hepatopancreas
•The Health status of shrimp is largely determined by
its lipid reserves deposited in the hepatopancreas
which functions both as a digestive gland as well as a
storage depot for energy.
•Therefore, farmers routinely look at squashed
preparates to evaluate the nutritional status of the
hepatopancreas, with enough lipid reserves being an
indicator of better resistance to stress and disease
challenges.

26. Lipid reserves in HP
High level of lipid droplets
= HEALTHY
Low level of lipid droplets
= NOT HEALTHY enough

27. Lipid reserves in HP
•Histological determination of the degree of
lipid vacuolization of the hepatopancreas in
shrimp Penaeus indicus, showing a high
(left picture) and low (right picture) level of
lipid vacuolization (100x magnification; van
de Braak et al., 2012)

28. Health of HP important
• When HP is destroyed due to bacterial toxin, HP
malfunctioned

29. Possible Causes:

30. Water transparency very low, about 20 cm
High alkalinity (near 200 ppm) or low
alkalinity (<80 ppm)
Low DO < 3.0 ppm
Total vibrio count in water > 1 x 102 CFU/ml
High organic load (>100 ppm)
High Total Ammoniaic Nitrogen (TAN)
OVERFEEDING!!
Possible Causes of WFD:

31. Water transparency very low, about 20 cm
High alkalinity (near 200 ppm) or low
alkalinity (<80 ppm)
Low DO < 3.0 ppm
Total vibrio count in water > 1 x 102 CFU/ml
High organic load (>100 ppm)
High Total Ammoniaic Nitrogen (TAN)
OVERFEEDING!!
Possible Causes of WFD:

32. Reports that the TOM in Indonesian sea has
increased to more than 50 ppm(now >80 ppm)
The environment cannot self-purify adequately,
there is imbalance in the ecosystem
Favours pathogenic bacteria, resulting in diseases
Matahari Sakti 1 June 2015 Bulletin

33. Prevention & Control

34. Pond Preparation based on Carrying Capacity: stocking density, number of
paddlewheel available, inputs available
Choose PL from reputable hatchery
Maintain stable water quality by routine analysis
Siphon if there is accumulated sludge
Control feed amount to prevent overfeeding
Control Vibrios by applying reputable probiotics
Add alcin (garlic extract) and Glucan (Aspergilus oryzae) to feed to boost
immune system
Make decision to Partial Harvest or Total Harvest if the Carrying Capacity is
reached
Increase the technical knowhow of the farm technicians by offering
training
PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

35. Use of Organic Acid to combat WFD – Dr Arief BBPAP
Jepara 3 Oct 2015

36. Use of Organic Acid to combat WFD – Dr Arief BBPAP
Jepara 3 Oct 2015

37. Shrimp TVC (Total vibrio count) after 8 days treatment – Dr
Arief BBPAP Jepara
Perlakuan Total Vibrio (CFU/ml) Keterangan
Haemolymph Hepatopancreas
Garlic 0 3 x 10² Koloni kuning
Active carbon 0 2,3 x 10³ Koloni kuning
Probiotics 10 2,8 x 10³ Koloni hijau dan kuning
Control 4 x 10² 1,8 x 10³ Koloni hijau dan kuning
- Saat awal perlakuan kotoran udang berwarna putih
- Lima hari pasca perlakuan kotoran udang kecoklatan

38. Feed Management

39. Managing WFD through Feeding Management

40. A lot of Cockroaches in the
kitchen if there are too much
left-over feed
A lot of pathogenic bacteria in
the pond if there are too much
organic matter (ala overfeeding)

41. Why is Feeding Shrimp a big challenge?
Cannot see the shrimp,
cannot see the feed
Too little feed?? Too much feed??
??

42. Proper Feed Management is Important because:
• Feed cost is >50% of total operation cost
Feed
50%
Energy
20%
Seed
7%
Water
treatment
8%
Labour
10%
Others
5%
Shrimp operation cost

43. If underfeeding……

44. Proper feed management is Important because:
• Feed > 50% operation costs
• If underfeeding:
= grow slow, “loose shrimp”
= potential of disease because of under-
nourishment
= need more days to achieve the same growth,
so higher FCR

45. •If overfeeding:
= organic wastes accumulate & reduce carrying
capacity of the pond
= pollute the pond bottom and water, high
H2S, NH3 , High bacteria, low DO
= mortality, high FCR

46. Understanding Shrimp Feed
Feed Shrimp Eat Shrimp use
100kg 95kg 67kg
Uneaten 5kg Feces 28kg
Total organic waste 33 kg
13kg protein
14kg carbohydrate 1. harmful gases
1.9kg fat 2. poor water quality
0.1kg mineral 3. food for pathogenic bacteria
0.1kg vitamin 4. blue green algae
1.1kg fibre
2.4kg others

47. This may be the result of overfeeding!

48. Temperature and Feed Management
• Use 300 C as standard for checking tray if water
temperature is above 300 C

49. Vannamei is a greedy eater
Vannamei eats more during hot weather

51. Main conclusions:
Avoid excessive feeding when water is >32oC (feed at cooler/different time of
day) and reduce feeding if water is too hot.
Do not rely too much on feed tray at >32oC.
Ideal nutrient utilisation, feed efficiency when water temperature is between
29° and 31°C.
May 13, 2012
Thailand
Temperature and Feed Consumption in White Shrimp
In this study, researchers from Kasetsart University looked at the relationship
between temperature and feed consumption in white shrimp under laboratory
conditions. They also looked at feed consumption from feed trays at different
temperatures on an intensive shrimp farm. Results suggested that shrimp
consumed feed much faster when temperatures were above 32°C. Feeding trays,
however, may not be a useful feed management tool when temperatures are
above 31°C because all the feed is consumed within an hour of application.

52. The researchers found that the ideal temperature for the best digestibility of
nutrients is between 29° and 31°C, which coincides with the best range for feed
conversion observed in these trials. Shrimp digestion at temperatures ranging
from 24° to 28°C can take three to four hours, indicating that intervals between
each feeding should be five to six hours to allow the complete digestion and
consumption from the previous feeding.
At temperatures higher than 32°C, digestion is much faster, and feed
consumption may be higher. There is danger, however, in increasing feed doses
to levels that can result in phytoplankton blooms, large numbers of pathogenic
bacteria and higher organic matter concentrations on pond bottoms. It was
noted that by avoiding feeding at temperatures above 32°C, pond and
production conditions were improved.
Source: The Global Aquaculture Advocate (The Global Magazine for Farmed Seafood). Editor, Darryl Jory
(dejry2525@aol.com). Temperature Effects Feeding Behavior of Pacific White Shrimp. Dr. Carlos A. Ching (email
cchingm@alicorp.com.pe, Technical Assistance Manager Nicovita – Alicorp SAA, Av. Argentina 4793, Callao, Peru)
and Dr. Chalor Limsuwan (Professor, Department of Fishery Biology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand).
Volume 15, Issue 3, Page 32, May/June 2012.

53. Water Quality Management
• Means keeping the conc of harmful substances low so that
they do not adversely affect the shrimp
• Minimise water quality fluctions

54. Strategies to maintain good water quality
1. Use an efficient feeding strategy to reduce excessive
organic loading
2. Use a high quality feed
3. Maintaining the pond in highly oxidized state which
can more efficiently oxidize and decompose the
organic matter
4. Removing part of the excessive organic matter
through pond design in an environmentally friendly
manner

55. Strategies to maintain good water quality
4. .
5. Proper water exchange to dilute the organic or toxic
matter
6. Maintain stable phytoplankton community to absorb
the toxic substances
7. Maintain beneficial bacteria community to convert
toxic substances to non-toxic substances through
addition of reputable probiotics

56. Good Management tools
• Good feed management
• Check the pond bottom regularly (once or twice a week)
1. Check how clean the feeding area is by scooping the mud with
your hands to see whether the mud is quite clean or already
dirty
2. Feel the sludge area carefully to see the extent of the organic
load
3. Discharge the central sludge if there is a sedimentation pond
and if the inlet canal is separated from the outlet or
4. Pump or siphon the sludge out to a sedimentation pond

57. Good Tip to preserve water quality:
Fasting or interrupted Feeding
•It is good to practice occasional fastings (3 or 4 meals a
week) when shrimp is above 60 days to allow shrimp to
clean up the pond bottom
•Stop feeding after 18:00 hrs is good because most pond
have lower DO at night; in addition, the reduced feeding
will allow the shrimp to clean up the pond bottom
•Stop feeding for 1 to 2 meals or even the whole day if
the weather is cold and the feed in the tray is not
finished

58. Carrying Capacity of Pond still comfortable

59. Carrying Capacity of Pond Exceeded

60. Carrying Capacity of Pond

61. Carrying Capacity of Pond
✔✔✔✔✔
✓✗

62. Concept of Carrying Capacity
•Different pond has different Carrying Capacity
•E.g. new clean pond can produce 1,000 kg/Hp of aeration, old
and dirty pond bottom may produce only 400 kg/Hp of
aeration
•Different management skill, different levels of facilities may
produce different productivity
•When the Carrying Capacity of a pond is reached, problems will
start arising, such as slow growth, high FCR, DO problems…
•When the Carrying Capacity is reached, it is best to harvest or
partial harvest the pond

63. In case the shrimp is infected by
White Feces Disease:

64. Discover the WFD as early as possible
White Feces Disease Recommended cure

65. Discover the WFD as early as possible
White Feces Disease Recommended cure
Early stage of white feces

66. Discover the WFD as early as possible
After discovering WFD (Day 1):
1. Reduce feed drastically, or even stop feeding for 1 day
2. On as many paddlewheels as possible
3. Add reputable probiotic at 3 times the normal rate to the pond water
Day 2:
1. Give only 50% feed. Top dress feed with 8-10 grams / kg feed fresh
garlic blended (cincan) , mixed with 100 ml of water for 1 day
Day 3 to 5:
1. Add reputable probiotics such as Bacillus to the feed and feed for every
meal
White Feces Disease Recommended cure

68. Take Home Message:
Know the Carrying Capacity of your Pond
Do not Overfeed
During hot weather of over 320 C, especially do not
overfeed
Observe your shrimp carefully
Discover White Feces Disease Early
Treat WFD early
Garlic followed by Priobiotics Treatment is Effective
against WFD

69. Thank You
Bye