Experimental infection models for shrimp vibriosis studies: a review

Vibrio species have become a major source of concern for shrimp culture because of their close association with low survival rates in hatcheries or growout ponds. New shrimp pathogens belonging to the Vibrio genus have been described although their virulence is not yet fully understood. Indeed, they may act as opportunistic agents in secondary infections or be true pathogens. This review presents the usefulness of infection models with vibriosis pathogens for pathogenicity experiments, testing of curative or prophylactic treatments and the study of host-factors influencing bacterial virulence. Furthermore, some guidelines for experimental trials are given to evaluate the in vivo virulence of Vibrio isolates.