March 19, 2007

US research company to investigate catfish diseases

The US catfish farming industry loses up to US$135 million a year to infectious diseases not diagnosed in time to save the fish, according to a US aquaculture company.

A change is in order and Aqualutions, a Wake Forest University spinout, is raising money for research to help bring about that change.

Founder and current CEO Sarah Yocum, 23 says the two-year old company has raised about US$50,000 through grants and business plan competitions and plans to apply for at least one large research grant each term.

Catfish die in large numbers from various bacterial infections. Farmers spend US$42.5 million annually trying to prevent this by dumping excessive amounts of antibiotics into the fishponds.

While preventing some fish loss, it also results in bacterial resistance that reduces the effectiveness of later treatments.

The practice has also drawn flak from concerned consumer groups.