New breakthrough: EHP marker algorithm for early detection of EHP in shrimp aquaculture
Posted on
EHP is a microsporidian parasite linked to white faeces disease which silently reduces shrimp growth and farm profitability, causing annual losses exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars across Asia.
KYTOS has launched a new breakthrough, its EHP marker algorithm, a powerful new feature on its microbial analytics platform that allows shrimp farmers to detect and manage mature Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) spore risk with precision and speed.
Using KYTOS’ proprietary single-cell analysis and AI technology, its EHP marker quantifies mature, infectious spores directly from pond water and shrimp samples in under a minute.
Using data from more than 600 million single-cell data points, the model achieves high accuracy and provides real-time, actionable insights through the KYTOS digital dashboard. This innovation enables farmers to identify rising EHP pressure before symptoms appear, supporting proactive water management and more sustainable production.
Ngan Bui, MSc, Lab Manager Kytos Vietnam said,
“Delivered through the Kytos platform, our dedicated EHP dashboard transforms complex microbiome data into clear, actionable insights. Spore density trends are visualized and benchmarked against an extensive country specific database, and contextualized to distinguish background levels from regional thresholds.”
Marc Indigne, COO at Kytos added,
“While existing methods for EHP detection focus mainly on diagnosing EHP in shrimp tissue, they cannot distinguish between different phenotypes and are hard to use for waterborne infection pressure. At KYTOS, we put water management first. Our EHP Indicator uniquely quantifies the mature spores that actually drive infection. Combined with our extensive health toolbox, this empowers farmers to act before clinical symptoms appear. By shifting disease management from reactive treatment to proactive prevention, we help safeguard crop performance, reduce economic losses, and promote more sustainable aquaculture.”
The EHP marker was developed by KYTOS teams in Belgium, Thailand, and Vietnam, with support from the Flanders International Climate Action Programme (FICAP). Ruben Props, CEO (right) and Ngan Bui (left) with the KytoVial, conducting water sampling at a shrimp aquaculture farm
KYTOS is a pioneering startup in the development of microbiological management solutions for the aquaculture industry. Its technology is built on decades of leading research in microbiome management and was developed at the Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET) at Ghent University (Kingdom of Belgium).
