Severe shrimp disease outbreaks have a destructive impact on shrimp aquaculture and its associated downstream food processing industries. Thus, it is essential to develop proper methods for shrimp disease control, which emphasizes the importance of food safety. In this study, we performed biochemical tests and gut microbiome analysis using uninfected control and
Vp
AHPND
‐infected
Penaeus monodon
samples. Biochemical tests were performed to assess the phenoloxidase (PO) activity, respiratory Burst (RB) activity, nitrite concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total hemocyte count (THC), and total protein concentrations. Overall, upregulations were detected in these biochemical tests, which showed the activation of the immune response in
P. monodon
during acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) infection, especially at 6 hpi and 12 hpi. Besides that, shrimp gut samples were collected and pooled (
n
= 3), followed by DNA extraction, PCR amplification targeting the V3/V4 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) region, next‐generation sequencing (NGS), and bioinformatics analysis. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in both samples. The Rhodobacteraceae family and
Maritimibacter
genus were proposed to be vital forshrimp health maintenance.
Vp
AHPND
bacterial colonization and secondary
Vibrio
infections were postulated to have occurred based on the higher abundances of Vibrionaceae family and
Vibrio
genus in the
Vp
AHPND
‐infected sample. Firmicutes phylum together with
Photobacterium
and
Aliiroseovarius
genera were inferred to be pathogenic or related factors of AHPND infections. In conclusion, physiology (immune response activation) and gut microbiome changes of disease tolerant
P. monodon
during AHPND infection were identified. Both biochemical tests and 16S rRNA analysis are proposed as a combined strategy for shrimp health diagnosis for ensuring shrimp health maintenance, disease control, and food safety.