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

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of applied ecology 2013-02, Vol.50 (1), p.215-222
Main Authors: Leung, Tommy L. F., Bates, Amanda E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal aquaculture
Animal diseases
Animal productions
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Aquaculture
Biological and medical sciences
Climate change
climate change adaptation
Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change
disease
Disease outbreaks
Earth, ocean, space
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Epidemiology
epizootics
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Fish culture
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Infectious diseases
Latitude
latitudinal trend
Meteorology
Mortality
Pathogens
Proteins
Shellfish
Sustainable agriculture
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0021-8901
1365-2664
DOI:10.1111/1365-2644.12017