Caveat Emptor’ recommended for EMS/AHPN management solutions

Summary:

Disease is a result of interrelated interactions among the host, the environment and the pathogen. As with other diseases, early mortality syndrome/acute hepatopancreatic syndrome in shrimp does not involve a simple disease process, so a single, all-encompassing solution is unlikely. The development of polymerase chain reaction testing to detect the bacteria that cause EMS is important, but until further testing confirms its specific identification of the EMS Vibrio, confirmation by bioassay of presumptive positives to ensure pathogenicity is a prudent intermediate step.

“Caveat emptor” is Latin for “let the buyer beware,” a phrase with which most of us are familiar. While some might take this as a blanket admonition that no one can be trusted, I think it prudently advises all of us, among other things, not to look for easy fixes to complex problems.

Governments make certain practices illegal, and where impacts on consumers can be substantial, they enforce labeling requirements, as an example, that ensure buyers understand there may be risks associated with the use of some products. Nonetheless, this adage remains very much a truism in today’s world.