More rapid and severe disease outbreaks for aquaculture at the tropics: implications for food security

Title
More rapid and severe disease outbreaks for aquaculture at the tropics: implications for food security
Publication Date
2013
Author(s)
Leung, Tommy
Bates, Amanda E
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1111/1365-2644.12017
UNE publication id
une:13210
Abstract
1. Aquaculture is replacing capture fisheries in supplying the world with dietary protein. Although disease is a major threat to aquaculture production, the underlying global epidemiological patterns are unknown. 2. We analysed disease outbreak severity across different latitudes in a diverse range of aquaculture systems. 3. Disease at lower latitudes progresses more rapidly and results in higher cumulative mortality, in particular at early stages of development and in shellfish. 4. Tropical countries suffer proportionally greater losses in aquaculture during disease outbreaks and have less time to mitigate losses. 5. Synthesis and applications: Disease can present a major problem for food production and security in equatorial regions where fish and shellfish provide a major source of dietary protein. As the incidences of some infectious diseases may increase with climate change, adaptation strategies must consider global patterns in disease vulnerability of aquaculture and develop options to minimize impacts on food production.
Link
Citation
Journal of Applied Ecology, 50(1), p. 215-222
ISSN
1365-2664
1472-0043
0021-8901
Start page
215
End page
222

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