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Business News/ News / India/  Indian Immunologicals signs MoU with ICAR-CIFA for commercial development of fish vaccine
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Indian Immunologicals signs MoU with ICAR-CIFA for commercial development of fish vaccine

Currently there is no fish vaccines available in India on a commercial scale to prevent aquaculture infections. Scientist from CIFA conducted years of research to develop vaccine candidate against Aeromonas Septicemia

India is the 3rd largest fish producer in the global sphere and more than 65% of India’s fish is through inland fisheries and aquaculture. (Photo: Reuters)Premium
India is the 3rd largest fish producer in the global sphere and more than 65% of India’s fish is through inland fisheries and aquaculture. (Photo: Reuters)

New Delhi: Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), a vaccine manufacturer, has announced a partnership with Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar, an Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institute, for commercial development of vaccine against Hemorrhagic Septicemia, also called Aeromonas Septicemia, ulcer disease or red-sore disease in freshwater fish.

“India is the 3rd largest fish producer in the global sphere and more than 65% of India’s fish is through inland fisheries and aquaculture. The main constraint to aquaculture globally, however, is disease with an estimate that 20% of all cultured aquatic animals are lost because of infectious diseases, amounting to around $10 billion in losses annually on a global scale," according to a press release.

Hemorrhagic Septicemia in freshwater fishes is caused by Aeromonas hydrophila, an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium. This infection is the scourge of fresh and brackish water fish farming worldwide and has emerged as a significant economic problem in Indian aquaculture over the past decades. All cultured freshwater fish species in India like rohu, catla, mrigal, silver carp, grass carp, common carp, medium carps, channel catfish, eel, among others,are susceptible to this disease.

Over the years, antibiotics and chemotherapeutics were used to control bacterial diseases including A. hydrophila. Now bacterial pathogens have become resistant to these chemicals, and some chemicals pose environmental health hazards. In this context, vaccination is the most promising and environmentally safe concept for controlling diseases.

“IIL is the first in India to get to fish vaccines. We are aware of the challenges associated with being the first, having been in similar situations for many other livestock vaccines. We are working at multiple-fronts in defining pathways for commercial development of fish vaccines in India,“ said K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited.

“IIL is committed to developing vaccines for fisheries sector with a long-term strategic objective of reducing use of antibiotics there by antimicrobial resistance in environment, as part of “One Health" initiative,“ said Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited.

“Currently there is no fish vaccines available in India on a commercial scale to prevent aquaculture infections. Scientist from CIFA conducted years of research to develop vaccine candidate against Aeromonas Septicemia. I am glad that IIL have come forward for commercial development of this vaccine,“ said Pramoda Kumar Sahoo, Director of ICAR-CIFA.

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Published: 13 Mar 2023, 05:47 PM IST
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