Managing the microbiota in aquaculture systems for disease prevention and control

Managing the microbiota in aquaculture systems for disease prevention and control 

De Schryver, T. Defoirdt, N. Boon, W. Verstraete and P. Bossier, Ghent University, Belgium 

Key words host/microbe interactions, microbial community organization, probiotics, prebiotics, sustainable. 

As the use of antibiotics in fish feed has become a debatable topic among farmers, researchers and planners, alternative treatments were and are in high demand. The focus lies on the search for methodologies that are low cost, relate to natural processes that have been shown to counteract pathogenic activity, and are ubiquitous in nature. The idea is that these strategies can be integrated with standard culturing practices and do not impose a burden on the environment. 

It should be mentioned that the antagonistic modes of action of these microbiological control strategies are not a direct replacement of antibiotics in the event of an infection. Their prophylactic application is, however, said to lead to a considerable reduction in infection risk. Although their effectiveness has become generally accepted in the aquaculture world, the exact mode of action of several microbiological approaches has not yet been unequivocally established. 

---