Reovirus wreaks havoc on wild crab cultivation in Andhra Pradesh
The Hindu
MCRV was found in the samples collected from ponds, markets in Andhra Pradesh. Mass mortality of wild crabs reported in all methods of farming since 2019.
Mud Crab Reovirus (MCRV) has been found to be the reason for the mass mortality of wild crab (Scylla serrate) in Andhra Pradesh State.
Joint research by M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and Centre for Advanced Study in Marine Biology (Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu) has confirmed the presence of the MCRV in the samples collected from Nagayalanka fields and open market in Krishna district. Since 2019, the mortalities were noticed by the MSSRF in the areas of Machilipatnam and Nagayalanka in the Krishna district.
The MCRV, known as Sleeping Disease, has taken a toll on wild crab in every farming method; Crab Fattening, Crab polyculture in which shrimp and wild crab are cultured in the same pond and exclusive mud crab ponds.