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Tuesday / November 19. 2024

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HomePosts Tagged "Fish Vaccine"
Acquaculture, Animal Health, India, R&D, Sustainability

For the commercial development of a vaccine against Hemorrhagic Septicemia in freshwater fishes

Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) has announced a partnership with the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar, an Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institute for the commercial development of a vaccine against Hemorrhagic Septicemia, also called Aeromonas Septicemia, Ulcer Disease or Red-Sore Disease in freshwater fish.

IIL ventured into the aqua business in October 2022 by launching products for the aquaculture health market dealing with pond management and fish or shrimp gut management and subsequently announced commercial development of fish vaccines with the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE).

Hemorrhagic Septicemia in freshwater fishes is caused by Aeromonas hydrophila, an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium. This infection is the scourge of fresh and brackish water fish farming worldwide and is considered as a significant economic problem in Indian aquaculture over the past decades. All the cultured freshwater fish species in India like rohu, catla, mrigal, silver carp, grass carp, common carp, medium carp, channel catfish, eel, etc. are susceptible to this disease.

Over the years, antibiotics and chemotherapeutics are used for controlling bacterial diseases including A. hydrophila. Now bacterial pathogens have become resistant to these chemicals when used over an extended period and some chemicals pose environmental health hazards. In this context, vaccination is the most promising and environmentally safe concept for controlling diseases.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited said, “We are working at multiple fronts in defining pathways for commercial development of fish vaccines in India”.

For the commercial development of a vaccine

Acquaculture, Company News, Environment, India, Sustainability

Several fish vaccine candidates are currently being evaluated by IIL for commercialisation

Indian Immunologicals Limited, a leading vaccine manufacturer, has announced partnership with Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institute for the commercial development of vaccine against common bacterial diseases in freshwater fishes. IIL has forayed into Aqua business in October 2022 by launching products for aquaculture health market dealing with pond management and fish or shrimp gut management.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited said, “IIL has introduced several innovative veterinary vaccines first to the world, like Porcine Cysticercosis vaccine, FMD+HS+BQ combination vaccine and Theileria vaccine. IIL is again the first in India to get to fish vaccines. We are committed to introducing more and more products for the aquaculture market and help shrimp and fish growers to increase their productivity and protect fish schools from various diseases”.

IIL strive to explore solutions for the prevailing challenges faced by Indian fish farmers in their farm production system. CIFE will provide technology for two inactivated bacterial vaccines, one for Columnaris Disease, a serious condition affecting numerous freshwater fish species, and other for Edwardsiellosis that cause high degree of mortality, leading to severe economic losses. Both the diseases are extremely common in freshwater fishes and is generally considered to be ubiquitous.

Dr Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited added “IIL is planning to introduce vaccines and immunostimulants with tech transfer from various fisheries institutes under ICAR. Several fish vaccine candidates are currently being evaluated by IIL for commercialisation. Launch of such vaccines may have a positive impact on reducing indiscriminate use of chemical or antibiotic based treatment methods, helping reduce antimicrobial resistance by fish farmers practicing environmentally sustainable ways of pond and fish health management”.

Dr CN Ravishankar, Director and Vice Chancellor of ICAR-CIFE said “In support to India’s Blue Revolution, I am glad that CIFE and IIL have come together to partner in developing India’s fist bacterial fish vaccine”.

Several fish vaccine candidates are currently being