The cost of these products remains a major constraint. A simpler approach adopted by many farmers in Thailand has been to add sugar to the water in very intensive systems. Most farmers are unable to identify the disease, and most treatments fail. Red body coloration is associated with several diseases including whitespot. Lesser use of fresh feed which may also spread infection may also be appropriate and has been adopted by many Thai farmers.
Antibiotics are generally ineffective but are still widely used.
Secrets of Success Thailand has, so far, been the most successful farmed shrimp producer in the world. This is a formidable cocktail and goes some way to explaining the phenomenal growth of the industry. There are several worrying trends or developments. It looks as if production in 1995 was similar to that in 1994. Production in the last quarter of 1995 and the first quarter of this year was down, with serious outbreaks of red body disease.