title: Phage therapy as an approach to prevent Vibrio anguillarum infections in fish larvae production.
abstract: Fish larvae in aquaculture have high mortality rates due to pathogenic bacteria, especially the Vibrio species, and ineffective prophylactic strategies. Vaccination is not feasible in larvae and antibiotics have reduced efficacy against multidrug resistant bacteria. A novel approach to controlling Vibrio infections in aquaculture is needed. The potential of phage therapy to combat vibriosis in fish larvae production has not yet been examined. We describe the isolation and characterization of two bacteriophages capable of infecting pathogenic Vibrio and their application to prevent bacterial infection in fish larvae. Two groups of zebrafish larvae were infected with V. anguillarum (∼106 CFU mL-1) and one was later treated with a phage lysate (∼108 PFU mL-1). A third group was only added with phages. A fourth group received neither bacteria nor phages (fish control). Larvae mortality, after 72 h, in the infected and treated group was similar to normal levels and significantly lower than that of the infected but not treated group, indicating that phage treatment was effective. Thus, directly supplying phages to the culture water could be an effective and inexpensive approach toward reducing the negative impact of vibriosis in larviculture.
authors.affiliation: CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 11 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Yolanda J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 11 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 11 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 11 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mateus
authors.affiliation: CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 11 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 11 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calado
authors.affiliation: CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 11 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Newton C M
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Food Research Division AZTI-Tecnalia, Bizkaiko Teknologi Parkea, Astondo Bidea, 609 Eraikina, 48160 Derio, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.affiliation: Food Research Division AZTI-Tecnalia, Bizkaiko Teknologi Parkea, Astondo Bidea, 609 Eraikina, 48160 Derio, Spain.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.affiliation: CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 11 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Adelaide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D014733:Vibrio / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*