Abstract
A global distribution in marine, brackish, and freshwater ecosystems, in combination
with high abundances and biomass, make vibrios key players in aquatic environments, as well
as important pathogens for humans and marine animals. Incidents of Vibrio-associated diseases
(vibriosis) in marine aquaculture are being increasingly reported on a global scale, due to the fast
growth of the industry over the past few decades years. The administration of antibiotics has been
the most commonly applied therapy used to control vibriosis outbreaks, giving rise to concerns about
development and spreading of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. Hence, the idea of
using lytic bacteriophages as therapeutic agents against bacterial diseases has been revived during
the last years. Bacteriophage therapy constitutes a promising alternative not only for treatment,
but also for prevention of vibriosis in aquaculture. However, several scientific and technological
challenges still need further investigation before reliable, reproducible treatments with commercial
potential are available for the aquaculture industry. The potential and the challenges of phage-based
alternatives to antibiotic treatment of vibriosis are addressed in this review.
with high abundances and biomass, make vibrios key players in aquatic environments, as well
as important pathogens for humans and marine animals. Incidents of Vibrio-associated diseases
(vibriosis) in marine aquaculture are being increasingly reported on a global scale, due to the fast
growth of the industry over the past few decades years. The administration of antibiotics has been
the most commonly applied therapy used to control vibriosis outbreaks, giving rise to concerns about
development and spreading of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. Hence, the idea of
using lytic bacteriophages as therapeutic agents against bacterial diseases has been revived during
the last years. Bacteriophage therapy constitutes a promising alternative not only for treatment,
but also for prevention of vibriosis in aquaculture. However, several scientific and technological
challenges still need further investigation before reliable, reproducible treatments with commercial
potential are available for the aquaculture industry. The potential and the challenges of phage-based
alternatives to antibiotic treatment of vibriosis are addressed in this review.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 15 |
| Journal | Antibiotics |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| ISSN | 2079-6382 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2018 |
