Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei ) aquaculture is a major global industry which has undergone rapid growth in the previous decade. However, the industry's economic stability and sustainability is threatened by diseases caused by pathogens such as, White Sp ot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus . In order to reduce the impacts of these diseases there is significant requirement within the industry for advances in identifying pathogen presence, clinical disease, and practices and technologies. However, the development of such requires experimentation to validate test sensitivities and demonstrate efficacy. This study investigates the benefits and costs to different disease models used to do this. The role of variables such as size, pathogen dosing, infection route, housing set up, population densities, and environmental conditions will be shown.