Journal de virologie et de recherche antivirale

Viral Threats in Aquaculture: The Battle Continues

J M Grijalva-Chon and R Castro Longoria

The growth of world population demands more food and in this sense aquaculture has contributed, in recent years, to provide protein of quality to supplement the insufficient contribution of fisheries. Globally, the rate of increase in aquaculture production contrasts with the stagnation of fisheries production. For example, in 2012 fish production reached 158 million tons, of which aquaculture production accounted for 42%. In the same year, global aquaculture (fish, mollusks, crustaceans and others) produced 67 million tons generated mainly (63%) in inland facilities  . But just as crop and livestock production, aquaculture faces challenges with varying degrees of difficulty, such as financing alternatives for poor farmers, adapting new technologies developed in different regions, lack of qualified training, and pathogens that threaten the health of animals raised in aquaculture.