Scientists at the Iloilo-based Aquaculture Department (AQD) of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) have developed methods and vaccines to control the viral nervous necrosis disease in economically important marine fish such as groupers and sea bass. These methods could boost production and reduce economic losses in the marine fish industry, scientist Leobert D. de la Peña and Rolando Parkingking, Jr. said in abstracts of their studies. Viral nervous necrosis (VNN), otherwise known as viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER), has over the last two decades continued to inflict serious economic losses among high value marine fish species not only at the larval and juvenile but importantly at the grow-out stages, Mr Pakingking wrote.

Villamor, M. S. (2010, January 28). New methods could control fish disease. BusinessWorld, p. S1/8.