Contagious disease hits Tilapia farmers on 3 continents.

Contagious disease hits tilapia farmers on 3 continents.The Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) has been reported in five countries on three continents: Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel and Thailand. The highly contagious disease is spreading among farmed and wild tilapia, one of the world's most important fish for human consumption. The pathogen poses no public health concern, it can decimate infected populations. Infected fish often show loss of appetite, slow movements, dermal lesions and ulcers, ocular abnormalities, and opacity of lens. In 2015, world tilapia production, from both aquaculture and capture, amounted to 6.4 million tonnes, with an estimated value of USD 9.8 billion, and worldwide trade was valued at USD1.8 billion. source