Analysis of a shrimp farming network during an outbreak of white spot disease in Rayong Province, Thailand

This study used social network analysis with the aim of establishing the importance of units (nodes) of interest and to understand the network characteristics of shrimp farming during an epidemic of white spot disease (WSD) in the Rayong province of Thailand. A case-control study at the farm-level was carried out from October 2014 to May 2015. A total of 165 questionnaires from all active farms were used for data analysis. Among the active farms used in the sample, network data from 38 case-farms and 127 control-farms were analyzed, and risk factors were determined. We found that farm visitors and post-larvae (PL) provider companies are significant factors (P < .05). Given these findings, we recommend that farmers control WSD by obtaining PL only from reliable sources and regulating farm visits to prevent the spread of WSD. These measures can help farmers effectively reduce the risk of WSD occurrence and spread.