Affiliation:
1. The International Graduate Program of Veterinary Science and Technology (VST), Faculty of Veterinary Science Chulalongkorn University Bangkok Thailand
2. Center of Excellence in Fish Infectious Diseases (CE FID), Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science Chulalongkorn University Bangkok Thailand
3. Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development Asian Institute of Technology Pathum Thani Thailand
4. INVE Aquaculture Nonthaburi Thailand
5. National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) Pathum Thani Thailand
6. Fish Heath Platform, Center of Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Centex Shrimp), Faculty of Science Mahidol University Bangkok Thailand
Abstract
AbstractAsian seabass, Lates calcarifer, is an important aquatic species in mariculture. Intensive farming of this species has faced episodes of bacterial diseases, including those due to vibriosis, scale drop, and muscle necrosis disease, big belly disease, photobacteriosis, columnaris, streptococcosis, aeromoniasis, and tenacibaculosis. Vaccination is one of the most efficient, non‐antibiotic, and eco‐friendly strategies for protecting fish against bacterial diseases, contributing to aquaculture expansion and ensuring food security. As of now, although numerous vaccines have undergone laboratory research, only one commercially available inactivated vaccine, suitable for both immersion and injection administration, is accessible for preventing Streptococcus iniae. Several key challenges in developing vaccines for Asian seabass must be addressed, such as the current limited understanding of immunological responses to vaccines, the costs associated with vaccine production, forms, and routes of vaccine application, and how to increase the adoption of vaccines by farmers. The future of vaccine development for the Asian seabass industry, therefore, is discussed with these key critical issues in mind. The focus is on improving our understanding of Asian seabass immunity, including maternal immunity, immunocompetence, and immune responses post‐vaccination, as well as developing tools to assess vaccine effectiveness. The need for an alignment of fish vaccines with state‐of‐the‐art vaccine technologies employed in human and terrestrial animal healthcare is also discussed. This review also discusses the necessity of providing locally‐produced autogenous vaccines, especially for immersion and oral vaccines, to benefit small‐scale fish farmers, and the potential benefits that might be extended through changes to current husbandry practices such as the vaccination of broodstock and earlier life stages of their off‐spring.