Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(3): 1098-1109 1098 Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.703.131 Screening for Incidence of Microsporidian Parasite Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) in Litopenaeus vannamei from Aquaculture Ponds in SPSR Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh, India M. Raveendra 1* , P. Hari Babu 1 , T. Neeraja 1 , D. Pamanna 1 , N. Madhavan 1 , A.S. Sahul Hameed 2 and Ch. Srilatha 3 1 College of Fishery Science Muthukur, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India 2 OIE Reference Laboratory for WTD, Department of Zoology, C. Abdul Hakeem College, Melvisharam, Tamil Nadu, India 3 College of Veterinary Science, S.V.V.U Tirupati, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Introduction Shrimp farming is one of the most profitable and fastest-growing sectors of the aquaculture industry. Over the past decade, global farmed shrimp production has grown almost threefold from 1.13 million tons in 1999 to over 3.43 million tons in 2009 (Jory, 2010). China ranked first in shrimp aquaculture with 40% of total cultured shrimp production followed by Thailand (15%), Vietnam (12%) and Indonesia (10%) (FAO, 2011). Shrimp continues to be the largest single commodity in value terms, accounting for about 15% of the total value of internationally traded fishery products in 2012. It is mainly produced in developing countries, and much of this production finds its way into the international trade (FAO, 2014). Penaeid shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei and Peneaus monodon), which comprise around 80% of total farmed shrimp production (FAO, 2009). International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 03 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Hepaotopancreatic Microsporidiosis (HPM) caused by Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), a microsporidian parasite to be associated with slow (retarded or stunted) growth and white feces syndrome (WFS) in cultured shrimp in many of the shrimp growing countries in Asia, also in India. In the present study, shrimp samples from various shrimp ponds from different Mandals of SPSR Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, India, were collected over a period of five months (February 2016 to June 2016). Important diagnosis observed were histopathological studies, molecular technique (PCR). Histologically, the infected animals showed severe degeneration of hepaotopancreatic tubule, basophilic inclusions resembling the developmental stages of EHP were found in the epithelial cells and large number of spore aggregations was observed in the tubular lumen. Enlargement of haemal sinuses was also observed in some cases. From this study, out of 50 pond case studies, 31 cases were showing EHP symptoms with 62 % prevalence by using tools of detection like PCR and histology. Keywords EHP, HPM, Parasite, PCR, Shrimp, WFS Accepted: 10 February 2018 Available Online: 10 March 2018 Article Info