June 7, 2011
Spain creates first fish oral vaccine
Spanish institutes have announced the development of the first highly effective Fimoral-V oral vaccine for aquaculture use, which can be given to farmed fish through food via a system of microencapsulation in yeast.
Probeltebio company researchers have completed this in collaboration with the Department of Cell Biology, University of Murcia (UMU) and the Murcia Oceanographic Institute - dependent on the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO).
Scientists have assured they were able to demonstrate the efficacy of this vaccine. They have explained that by isolating the fish own protein it can be used in the main fish species used in the Spanish commercial aquaculture: sea bass, sea bream, turbot, plaice and trout.
As reported by the University of Murcia, this new oral vaccine can help reduce medium-term economic losses caused by various infectious diseases and by handling stress affecting aquatic resources.
The vaccine development continues in the studies by the team of scientists from the University-led by Victoriano Mulero-on fish cytokines, endogenous molecules similar to the hormones that regulate the defense response of fish.
One of these cytokines known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha was isolated in different species of fish and showed immunostimulatory qualities.
Probeltebio experts worked under the direction of Sergio Streitenberger Jacobi.
