Pathogenesis and Control of Vibrio-Associated Diseases in Aquaculture

Vibrio species represent a major challenge to marine and brackish aquaculture, causing vibriosis with high mortality and economic losses worldwide. These Gram-negative bacteria deploy an array of virulence factors—including secreted toxins, haemolysins and extracellular enzymes—facilitated by secretion systems and regulated by quorum-sensing networks. Biofilm formation and entry into a viable but non-culturable state further enhance environmental persistence. Host defence relies on innate barriers, mucosal immunity and the gut–liver axis, with the resident microbiota modulating susceptibility and inflammatory responses. Control strategies integrate improved water quality management, probiotics, immunostimulants and vaccination. Vaccine platforms range from live attenuated and inactivated whole-cell formulations to subunit and polyvalent feed-based preparations, each eliciting distinct humoral and cellular responses. Advances in molecular diagnostics and genomic surveillance enable rapid pathogen detection and strain typing. A multidisciplinary approach, spanning microbial ecology, host immunology and genomics, is essential to develop sustainable interventions and safeguard global aquaculture production.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Comparative genomics of the Vibrio Harveyi clade has refined species classification and uncovered lineage-specific virulence determinants, including expanded arrays of immunoglobulin-like adhesion proteins and iron-uptake systems. This foundational analysis has highlighted the extensive genetic diversity within V. campbellii and V. harveyi, informing more precise diagnostic assays and guiding the design of next-generation vaccines and targeted antimicrobial strategies.

Pathogenesis and Control of Vibrio-Associated Diseases in Aquaculture publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in pathogenesis and control of vibrio-associated diseases in aquaculture across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Vibriosis: Infection of aquatic animals caused by Vibrio species.

Virulence factor: Bacterial molecule or structure that enhances pathogenicity or host damage.

Live attenuated vaccine: Vaccine using a live pathogen modified to reduce its virulence while retaining immunogenicity.

Comparative genomics: Analysis of multiple genome sequences to identify genetic differences linked to function and evolution.

Quorum sensing: Bacterial communication mechanism whereby cells coordinate gene expression in response to population density.

Viable but non-culturable (VBNC): Dormant bacterial state in which cells remain alive and potentially infectious yet fail to grow on standard media.

References

1. Evaluation of Flathead Grey Mullets (Mugil cephalus) Immunization and Long-Term Protection against Vibrio harveyi Infection Using Three Different Vaccine Preparations. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
2. Characterization of fliR-deletion mutant ΔfliR from Vibrio alginolyticus and the evaluation as a live attenuated vaccine. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2023).
3. Pathogenic and Opportunistic Vibrio spp. Associated with Vibriosis Incidences in the Greek Aquaculture: The Role of Vibrio harveyi as the Principal Cause of Vibriosis. Microorganisms (2023).
4. Comparative genomics of Vibrio campbellii strains and core species of the Vibrio Harveyi clade. Scientific Reports (2017).