Health management in aquaculture

A textbook on diseases of cultured warmwater fish and shrimps in the Philippines. Eleven chapters cover essential information on the basic principles of disease causation, major diseases of cultured fish and crustaceans, particularly shrimps, and methods of prevention and control. Emphasis is made on major diseases that occur in the Philippines and other countries in the Asian region. Included also are topics on harmful algae, immunology and molecular biological diagnostic techniques.1st Ed

In-vitro effect of fungicides on hyphal growth and sporogenesis of Lagenidium sp. isolated from Penaeus monodon larvae and Scylla serrata eggs

The sensitivity of Lagenidium, isolated from Penaeus monodon, Scylla serrata , to 34 antimycotics was determined. Effects on the development of vesicles, zoospores and mycelial growth were evaluated. Although mycoidal levels of the chemicals tested will be ideal for lethal treatment on control of the fungus, the high dose required may be lethal to the host, thus the use of mycostatic concentrations is more practical. Treatments of rearing water containing larvae, adult shrimps or crabs should be done only after preliminary tolerance experiments using at least the mycostatic dose prove to be safe for the hosts. Mycocidal doses can be used for determining disinfection doses of equipment and facilities used in rearing procedures as well as for destroying batches of infected larvae

In vitro effects of fungicides on the fungus Haliphthoros philippinensis

Pure cultures of Haliphthoros philippinensis, isolated from infected Penaeus monodon larvae, were exposed for 24 hours to varying concentrations of antifungal agents. The efficiency of each agent to inhibit sporulation and mycelial growth was measured. Effects on P. monodon eggs and larvae were also investigated. It is concluded that preliminary bioassay of larval tolerance to the suggested effective doses should always be made prior to prophylaxix or therapeutic applications

Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms across Tuberculosis Clinical Spectrum in Pakistani Patients

BACKGROUND: Pakistan ranks 7(th) globally in terms of tuberculosis (TB) disease burden (incidence 181/100000 pop./yr; prevalence of 329/pop./yr). Reports from different populations show variable associations of TB susceptibility and severity with cytokine gene polymorphisms. Tuberculosis clinical severity is multi-factorial and cytokines play a pivotal role in the modulation of disease severity. We have recently reported that the ratio of two key cytokines (IFNgamma and IL10) show significant correlation with the severity spectrum of tuberculosis. The objective of the current study was to analyze the frequency of cytokine gene polymorphisms linked to high and low responder phenotypes (IFNgamma +874 T(hi)-->A(lo) and IL10 -1082 G(lo)-->A(hi)) in tuberculosis patients. METHODS AND FINDINGS: STUDY GROUPS WERE STRATIFIED ACCORDING TO DISEASE SITE AS WELL AS DISEASE SEVERITY: Pulmonary N = 111 (Minimal, PMN = 19; Moderate, PMD = 63; Advance, PAD = 29); Extra-pulmonary N = 67 (Disseminated DTB = 20, Localized LTB = 47) and compared with healthy controls (TBNA = 188). Genotype analyses were carried out using amplification refractory mutation system-PCR (ARMS-PCR) and stimulated whole blood (WB) culture assay was used for assessing cytokine profiles. Our results suggest that the IFNgamma +874 TT genotype and T allele was overrepresented in PMN (p = 0.01) and PMD (p = 0.02). IFNgamma +874 TT in combination with IL10 GG(lo) genotypes showed the highest association (chi(2) = 6.66, OR = 6.06, 95% CI = 1.31-28.07, p = 0.01). IFNgamma AA(lo) on the other hand in combination with IL10 GG(lo) increased the risk of PAD (OR = 5.26; p = 0.005) and DTB (OR = 3.59; p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: These findings are consistent with the role of IL10 in reducing collateral tissue damage and the protective role of IFNgamma in limiting disease in the lung

Photodynamic Antimicrobial Chemotherapy in Aquaculture: Photoinactivation Studies of Vibrio fischeri

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) combines light, a light-absorbing molecule that initiates a photochemical or photophysical reaction, and oxygen. The combined action of these three components originates reactive oxygen species that lead to microorganisms' destruction. The aim was to evaluate the efficiency of PACT on Vibrio fischeri: 1) with buffer solution, varying temperature, pH, salinity and oxygen concentration values; 2) with aquaculture water, to reproduce photoinactivation (PI) conditions in situ. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To monitor the PI kinetics, the bioluminescence of V. fischeri was measured during the experiments. A tricationic meso-substituted porphyrin (Tri-Py(+)-Me-PF) was used as photosensitizer (5 µM in the studies with buffer solution and 10-50 µM in the studies with aquaculture water); artificial white light (4 mW cm(-2)) and solar irradiation (40 mW cm(-2)) were used as light sources; and the bacterial concentration used for all experiments was ≈10(7) CFU mL(-1) (corresponding to a bioluminescence level of 10(5) relative light units--RLU). The variations in pH (6.5-8.5), temperature (10-25°C), salinity (20-40 g L(-1)) and oxygen concentration did not significantly affect the PI of V. fischeri, once in all tested conditions the bioluminescent signal decreased to the detection limit of the method (≈7 log reduction). The assays using aquaculture water showed that the efficiency of the process is affected by the suspended matter. Total PI of V. fischeri in aquaculture water was achieved under solar light in the presence of 20 µM of Tri-Py(+)-Me-PF. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: If PACT is to be used in environmental applications, the matrix containing target microbial communities should be previously characterized in order to establish an efficient protocol having into account the photosensitizer concentration, the light source and the total light dose delivered. The possibility of using solar light in PACT to treat aquaculture water makes this technology cost-effective and attractive

Diseases of milkfish

Although the history of Chanos chanos culture has been quite long, reports of major epizootics have been few. Trained manpower and disease diagnostic services in most milkfish growing areas have not been readily available. Hence, earlier reports of etiologic agents of these epizootics were limited mostly to direct microscopic examination of specimens. Significant disease cases reported were attributed to bacterial, myotic, parasitic, and toxic causes. Bacterial infections, primarily due to Vibrio sp., have been frequently associated with mortality. To a lesser, extent fungal infections have also been reported. Intoxication of stock in freshwater systems by Microcystis toxins has caused massive fish kills in Laguna de Bay, Philippines. In most instances, affected fish were predisposed by environmental stress incurred in handling storage and transport. The fry and fingerling stages seemed severely affected compared with the older stages. Control of these infections must include assessment of fish husbandry practices first, before the use of chemotherapeutic agents like antibiotics is considered

Viral diseases

Outbreaks of viral infections can cause massive mortalities among cultured fishes or shrimps. Water temperature and age of the fish or shrimps are significant factors that influence the development of viral infections. Most fish viral infections occur at low water temperatures, hence, very few viral infections among fishes in warm water culture systems are reported. In addition, most viral infections occur among fry or fingerlings often causing severe mortalities, while older fish or shrimp develop resistance or are hardly affected. Stress from handling, poor water quality, high stocking density and poor nutrition also affect the severity of viral infections. Finally, aquaculturists should beware in importing non-indigenous fish or shrimps into the country as these are potential carriers of viral pathogens

Recommended practices for disease prevention in prawn and shrimp hatcheries

Disease in prawn is any abnormal condition which may affect adversely the appearance, growth, and function of the animal. It may or may not result in mortalities. Disease outbreaks occur commonly in different culture systems such as hatcheries and grow-out ponds. Disease develops through the interaction of the prawn (the host), the causal agent (the pathogen), and the environment. In the presence of a susceptible host, a pathogen and predisposing environmental conditions (poor water quality, inadequate food, frequent handling, overstocking), disease is very likely to occur. Improved environmental conditions, healthy prawns and absence of disease agents would therefore lessen the chance of a disease outbreak. The causal agents may be pathogenic organisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, helminths, microcrustaceans) or nonpathogenic adverse environmental conditions (extreme temperatures, low oxygen levels, chemical poisons). Living disease agents cause infectious disease which generally result in gradual mortalities. Non-living disease agents cause non-infectious diseases that result in sudden mass mortalities. The environment determines the balance between the prawn as host and the disease agent. Microorganisms are always present in the water and some of them cause disease only when the prawn has been weakened through exposure to stressful environmental conditions. Hatchery personnel should realize that they themselves could transmit disease through their contaminated hands, clothing, and footwear. Equipment such as water pumps, blowers, pipes, and materials such as scoop nets, water hoses, pails, glasswares are also possible carriers of disease agents. Spawners, live natural food like diatoms, rotifers and brine shrimp, and artificial diets could also be vehicles of disease transmission. The prawn culturist, thus, must be able to manage the environment and make it favorable for the prawn. Hatchery management should, therefore, include operation procedures that will reduce the possibility of disease development during larval rearing. This manual recommends practices for disease prevention to prawn hatchery operators and technicians

Tolerance of Penaeus monodon eggs and larvae to fungicides against Lagenidium sp. and Haliphthoros philippinensis

Contribution No. 163 of the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center.The in vivo effect of mycostatic levels of fungicides against the fungi Lagenidium sp. and Haliphthoros philippinensis was tested on Penaeus monodon eggs and larvae. Hatching rate and survival of nauplii, zoeae, myses and postlarvae exposed to 10 mg/l benzalkonium chloride, 1 mg/l Clotrimazole, 1 mg/l crystal violet, 10 mg/l 2,4-D, 10 mg/l Daconil, 20 mg/l laundry detergent, 1 mg/l Econazole nitrate, 10 mg/l Resiguard, 0.2 mg/l and 10 mg/l Treflan-R, and 0.01 mg/l and 0.2 mg/l trifluralin were monitored daily for 96 h in a static bioassay in glass aquaria. Test chemicals did not have an inhibitory effect on hatching rate but survival rate of hatched nauplii was significantly reduced in most treatments except those with 0.2 mg/l Treflan-R and 0.2 mg/l trifluralin. Tests with zoeae, myses and postlarvae indicated that 0.2 mg/l Treflan-R as well as 0.01 mg/l and 0.2 mg/l trifluralin did not adversely affect survival. In addition, application of 10 mg/l benzalkonium chloride caused no significant mortalities among exposed myses