The phage product is effective for the biocontrol of bacterial diseases in shrimp hatchery settings. ‘Bacteriophages’ also called ‘phages’ in short, are viruses that infect and kill only specific disease causing bacteria, and are an alternative to antibiotics as therapeutic agents in controlling bacterial infections.

Bacteriophages and their lytic enzymes have been used for therapy of bacterial infections in humans and animals, as biocontrol agents for food protection, diagnostics and also as tools in molecular biology. Bacteriophage therapy has advantages of being specific to their host bacteria, harmless to other microflora and fauna, and don’t have residual issues as in the case of antibiotics. 

Dr K K Vijayan, Director, CIBA, highlighted on the novelty of the phage technology of CIBA , which comprises of a ‘cocktail of phages’ that can neutralize a wide range of specific pathogenic bacteria in the hatchery settings, thus helping prevention and control of bacterial diseases, replacing the use of antibiotics, which pose  the concern of residues and antimicrobial resistance.