Farming of Litopenaeus vannamei in the Philippines was seen as a measure to increase shrimp production in the country. Taura Syndrome Virus (TSV) is a viral pathogen reported to be associated with Litopenaeus vannamei and other shrimp species. TSV outbreak impedes the production of Litopenaeus vannamei population and other species susceptible to the virus. Detection of TSV in L. vannamei in the Philippines calls for proper mitigation and appropriate actions for aquaculture and environmental management towards sustainable development. This study embarked on the detection of TSV using a purposive sampling method. Samples showing morphological symptoms of TSV such as redness of the carapace and pleopods and necrotic gill tissue collected from sites in Luzon and Visayas in the Philippines were processed. Viral RNA was extracted from the gills, the central area of infiltration and replication site of the virus. Complementary DNA (cDNA) was synthesized from the RNA templates and were subjected to RT-PCR under specific conditions using TSV specific primers against a positive control. Selected sites in the Philippines were proven to be positive of infection as they showed morphological symptoms and RT-PCR result in having a band at around 200 base pairs (bp). Percentage of prevalence results were obtained: Bulacan with 5 out of 15 samples (33%), Batangas with 7 out of 15 samples (47%), Bohol with 1 out of 15 samples (7%) and Cebu with 2 out of 15 samples (13%). The Batangas samples showed the highest prevalence of 47% (7 out of 15 samples) that were positive of the infection. This study reported the presence of TSV in L. vannamei in the country using morphological and molecular techniques.

In 1994, the Philippines was one of the top three producers in shrimp aquaculture, reaching a peak of 91MT. However, diseases caused a rapid decline in shrimp production, down to less than 50MT in 1997, and the Philippine status in shrimp aquaculture production has dwindled to the 13 th spot. Production has not yet recovered and stabilized, as these diseases still plague the industry up to this day. The strict implementation of importation laws for broodstock and better management practices helped the industry to make up for losses, and is now starting to revive. The scientific community is doing its part to hasten this process, shrimp research is of consistent interest to several research institutions providing deeper understanding regarding viral and bacterial diseases and their interactions with the host. However, the challenge remains as to how research can be translated and applied in the field, to provide the shrimp industry with science-based management strategies. This review provides a balance of both basic and applied research with the ultimate goal of reaching out to the industry through useful and beneficial knowledge together with simpler and costeffective detection methods and alternative, effective immunostimulants.