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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Aquatic Animal Health Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #281845

Title: Major bacterial diseases in aquaculture and their vaccine development

Author
item Wei Pridgeon, Yuping
item Klesius, Phillip

Submitted to: CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/27/2012
Publication Date: 9/18/2012
Citation: Wei Pridgeon, Y., Klesius, P.H. 2012. Major bacterial diseases in aquaculture and their vaccine development. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources. 7(048):1-16.

Interpretive Summary: Aquaculture is the fastest growing food-producing industry in the world. However, aquaculture is severely affected by outbreaks of different bacterial diseases. Treating infected fish with antibiotics is one important way to control them. However, the more frequently we use the antibiotics, the quicker the pathogens develop resistance to the antibiotics. In addition, the residual antibiotics in food fish have becoming a public concern. Therefore, alternatives to antibiotics are urgently needed to give similar or enhanced protection to aquatic animals. Vaccines have been proven to be successful in preventing various diseases in aquaculture. The purpose of this review is to summarize the major bacterial pathogens in aquaculture. In addition, this review will summarize the vaccine development status for these major bacterial diseases.

Technical Abstract: Aquaculture is emerging as the fastest growing food-producing industry in the world due to the increasing demand for food fish consumption. However, the intensive culture of food fish has led to outbreaks of various bacterial diseases, resulting in annual economic losses to the aquaculture industry billions of dollars worldwide. Feeding infected fish with antibiotic medicated food is a general practice. However, such practice has led to the resistance development of bacterial pathogens to the antibiotics used, resulting in higher dose of antibiotics required for effective control, which increasing becomes a public concern. Therefore, alternatives to antibiotics that give similar or enhanced protection to aquatic animals are urgently needed. Various vaccines have been developed recently to combat bacterial diseases in aquaculture. The purpose of this review is to summarize the major bacterial pathogens in aquaculture and the development of vaccines as alternatives to antibiotics to protect aquatic animals from these bacterial diseases.