TY - JOUR

T1 - Exploring the Effect of Phage Therapy in Preventing Vibrio anguillarum Infections in Cod and Turbot Larvae

AU - Rørbo, Nanna Iben

AU - Rønneseth, Anita

AU - Kalatzis, Panagiotis

AU - Rasmussen, Bastian Barker

AU - Engell-Sørensen, Kirsten

AU - Kleppen, Hans Petter

AU - Wergeland, Heidrun Inger

AU - Gram, Lone

AU - Middelboe, Mathias

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - The aquaculture industry is suffering from losses associated with bacterial infections byopportunistic pathogens. Vibrio anguillarum is one of the most important pathogens, causingvibriosis in fish and shellfish cultures leading to high mortalities and economic losses. Bacterialresistance to antibiotics and inefficient vaccination at the larval stage of fish emphasizes the needfor novel approaches, and phage therapy for controlling Vibrio pathogens has gained interest in thepast few years. In this study, we examined the potential of the broad‐host‐range phage KVP40 tocontrol four different V. anguillarum strains in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) and turbot(Scophthalmus maximus L.) larvae. We examined larval mortality and abundance of bacteria andphages. Phage KVP40 was able to reduce and/or delay the mortality of the cod and turbot larvaechallenged with V. anguillarum. However, growth of other pathogenic bacteria naturally occurringon the fish eggs prior to our experiment caused mortality of the larvae in the unchallenged controlgroups. Interestingly, the broad‐spectrum phage KVP40 was able to reduce mortality in thesegroups, compared to the nonchallenge control groups not treated with phage KVP40,demonstrating that the phage could also reduce mortality imposed by the background populationof pathogens. Overall, phage‐mediated reduction in mortality of cod and turbot larvae inexperimental challenge assays with V. anguillarum pathogens suggested that application ofbroad‐host‐range phages can reduce Vibrio‐induced mortality in turbot and cod larvae,emphasizing that phage therapy is a promising alternative to traditional treatment of vibriosis inmarine aquaculture.

AB - The aquaculture industry is suffering from losses associated with bacterial infections byopportunistic pathogens. Vibrio anguillarum is one of the most important pathogens, causingvibriosis in fish and shellfish cultures leading to high mortalities and economic losses. Bacterialresistance to antibiotics and inefficient vaccination at the larval stage of fish emphasizes the needfor novel approaches, and phage therapy for controlling Vibrio pathogens has gained interest in thepast few years. In this study, we examined the potential of the broad‐host‐range phage KVP40 tocontrol four different V. anguillarum strains in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) and turbot(Scophthalmus maximus L.) larvae. We examined larval mortality and abundance of bacteria andphages. Phage KVP40 was able to reduce and/or delay the mortality of the cod and turbot larvaechallenged with V. anguillarum. However, growth of other pathogenic bacteria naturally occurringon the fish eggs prior to our experiment caused mortality of the larvae in the unchallenged controlgroups. Interestingly, the broad‐spectrum phage KVP40 was able to reduce mortality in thesegroups, compared to the nonchallenge control groups not treated with phage KVP40,demonstrating that the phage could also reduce mortality imposed by the background populationof pathogens. Overall, phage‐mediated reduction in mortality of cod and turbot larvae inexperimental challenge assays with V. anguillarum pathogens suggested that application ofbroad‐host‐range phages can reduce Vibrio‐induced mortality in turbot and cod larvae,emphasizing that phage therapy is a promising alternative to traditional treatment of vibriosis inmarine aquaculture.

U2 - 10.3390/antibiotics7020042

DO - 10.3390/antibiotics7020042

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29772736

VL - 7

JO - Antibiotics

JF - Antibiotics

SN - 2079-6382

IS - 2

M1 - 42

ER -