During the first week of January, hundred Pangasius fish farmers in Mekong river delta have lost their fish. while factories are thirstying for more material fish.

The common sight in Pangasius farming areas these is piles of dead fish collected from ponds stacked up along the road waiting for dead fish buyers.

In Chau Phu district, An Giang province. 80% of the farmers lost from 30 to 40% of their stocks, for few others the mortality rate is 100%. In Phu Thuan island commune, Hong dist., Dong Thap province, a well known source of Pangasius fingerlins production, farmers stop stocking pries for fear of the disease.

In My Hoa Hung commune, Long Xuyen city. Fish farmers who follow strictly medication and anti-biotics treatment protocols report signs of baterial resistance against regualted anti-biotics. This could be a consequence of both poor quality fingerlings (cross breeding) and prolonged cold weather in the areas.

We have no report yet of the bacteria that causes this disease, the lab report will become available in next few days. However the timing of this outbreak is the same with last year's one. Because of higher densitive stocking recently due to high rising pangasius price. This out break is believed to become the largest ever in the Mekong Delta very soon, should Provincial Fishery Departments fail to find out and implement immediate measure to tackle the disease.