Infectious Disease Management in Aquaculture Systems
Summary
Aquaculture underpins the sustainable supply of seafood to a growing global population but is vulnerable to outbreaks of bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens. Effective management of infectious disease in farmed finfish and shellfish relies on an integrated approach that combines rigorous biosecurity, early detection, vaccination, selective breeding and judicious use of therapeutics. Stocking density, water quality and nutrition interact to influence host resilience, while advances in molecular diagnostics enable rapid identification of emerging threats. Preventive measures focus on barrier methods such as disinfection, pathogen-free broodstock and quarantine protocols. Vaccination strategies range from immersion and oral formulations to targeted injection, often employing live attenuated or subunit vaccines to elicit robust immune responses. Genetic selection for disease-resistant strains exploits natural variation in innate and adaptive immunity, while microbiome management through probiotics or prebiotics seeks to stabilise host intestinal flora. Surveillance programmes employing environmental DNA and on-farm health monitoring support early intervention, reducing reliance on antibiotics and mitigating the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Overall, integrated disease management in aquaculture aims to balance productivity with animal welfare and environmental sustainability, underpinned by collaboration between researchers, producers and regulatory bodies.
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Infectious Disease Management in Aquaculture Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in infectious disease management in aquaculture systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biosecurity: Measures and protocols designed to prevent the introduction and spread of pathogens in aquaculture facilities.
Microbiome: The community of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, that inhabit an organism’s gut and influence its health and disease resistance.
Live attenuated vaccine: A vaccine using a weakened form of a pathogen that can still elicit an immune response without causing disease.
Type VI secretion system (T6SS): A bacterial nanomachine used to inject effector proteins into host cells or competing microbes, contributing to virulence.
Antimicrobial resistance: The ability of pathogens to survive exposure to drugs that would normally inhibit or kill them, posing challenges for disease control.
References
- Genomic Insights into Edwardsiella ictaluri: Molecular Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance in Striped Catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) Aquaculture in Vietnam. Microorganisms (2024).
- Edwardsiella ictaluri Almost Completely Occupies the Gut Microbiota of Fish Suffering from Enteric Septicemia of Catfish (Esc). Fishes (2023).
- Hemolysin Co-regulated Family Proteins Hcp1 and Hcp2 Contribute to Edwardsiella ictaluri Pathogenesis. Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2021).
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