Turbot diseases can be treated with live attenuated bacterial vaccines
Original headline: Vaccine for turbot diseases launched, China registers first live vaccine for marine aquaculture animals
Turbot farming site (file photo)
Laboratory technician observing the growth of turbot (file photo)
Live attenuated Edwardsiella tarda vaccine strain EIBAV1 (file photo)
Because its flesh is tender and has few bones, the turbot, scientifically named "turbot" (Scophthalmus maximus), is much loved, but in recent years the problem of chemical drug residues exceeding standards caused by antibiotic abuse has made people wary. On the 4th, reporters learned from East China University of Science and Technology that, with support from the National 863 Program, after 10 years, the latest research results of Professor Zhang Yuanxing's team at the university are expected to let us eat turbot with peace of mind -- the "Turbot Edwardsiella tarda live vaccine (strain EIBAV1)" has obtained a National New Veterinary Drug Class I Registration Certificate, and the product is expected to go on sale within the year. This is the first live vaccine for marine aquaculture animals registered in China, and also the world's first fish vaccine against Edwardsiella tarda approved by a government.
Edwardsiellosis is a serious bacterial disease of farmed marine turbot. "In 2006 we isolated and identified the highly pathogenic strain EIB202, studied its whole genome and main pathogenic mechanisms, and then, based on the characteristics of the pathogen genome, finally precisely selected from many strains the naturally attenuated EIBAV1 strain, which has good immunogenic performance, and turned it into a vaccine." said Professor Liu Qin of East China University of Science and Technology, a core member of the research team. Because the vaccine is a naturally attenuated live bacterium, small fry only need to "bathe" in water prepared with the vaccine for 3 minutes to enhance their immunity.
The research also found that the vaccine is equally effective for fish species in the same flatfish group as turbot, such as Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), as well as for species outside the flatfish group, such as eel.
"Besides research on expanding the indications of the existing vaccine, we also plan to use Edwardsiella tarda as a breakthrough point to develop 3 to 5 vaccines against major turbot diseases, such as Vibrio anguillarum, forming an overall epidemic prevention system that covers the needs of turbot at every growth stage." Zhang Yuanxing said.
At present, Zhang Yuanxing and his team are cooperating with enterprises such as Zhejiang Novus Wei Biotechnology Co., Ltd. to improve the production line and GMP procedures. (Fang Shufen, reporter Chen Yu)