Optimised vaccines deliver improved animal health and avoid use of antimicrobials in the production of fish (Sommerset et al., Expert Review Vaccines 2005, 4, 89-101.). Australian YTK Photobacteriosis outbreaks have been reported in association with Photobacterium damselae subsp damselae (Pdd), Photobacterium damselae subspecies piscicida(Pdp) and various Vibrio harveyi(Vh) isolates (Matt Landos, Nicky Buller, unpublished). To support stable production of high quality finfish highly efficacious controls of microbial diseases are critical. Successful examples are currently employed in salmon (Yersinia ruckeri, Vibrio anguillarum) and barramundi (Streptococcus iniae) whereby disease outbreaks drove the need for vaccine development. These conditions are now both well controlled in vaccinated populations and have dramatically reduced reliance on administration of antibiotics.
Currently, crude autogenous vaccines are in use with YTK for control of only Pdd in South Australia and Western Australia with some reported success. Recently Pdp has emerged as a significant pathogen in South Australian outbreaks. Reliable vaccination against Pdp has proven difficult in international experience using traditional autogenous and generic killed vaccine methods, hence increasingly research is exploring DNA vaccination methods to improve protection against this pathogen (Kato et al., Vaccine 2015, 33 (8), 1040-1045). It is also probable that antigenic diversity had been underestimated, given high diversity that recent sequencing technology has revealed in our preliminary research . Preparedness for the emergence of highly pathogenic Pdp strains is prudent to allow rapid controls to be developed, without incurring business-ending losses within the growing aquaculture sector, or having high levels of reliance on oral antibiotics. Genetic sequence data on isolates generated through this project can be used for epidemiological modelling, new rapid diagnostic typing tools and immediate response if disease emergence occurs in other finfish industries. Pdp is acknowledged as a serious pathogen internationally in species including yellowtail, cobia, flounder, seabream, pompano and sea bass. (Andreoni et al.J Immunol Res. 2014).
Project number:
2018-101
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure:
$790,827.36
Principal Investigator:
Andrew C. Barnes
Organisation:
University of Queensland (UQ)
Project start/end date:
29 Nov 2018
-
14 Dec 2021
Contact:
FRDC
SPECIES
1. Generate comprehensive genome database of Australian isolates of Pdd, Pdp and Vh associated with Photobacteriosis outbreaks in YTK
2. Generate and supply diagnostic laboratory reagents and methods for typing Photobacterium and Vibrio isolates associated with YTK outbreaks.
3. Deliver optimised monovalent and multivalent (Pdd, Pdp, Vh) killed vaccines, with production outline, appropriate adjuvant type, dose, safety and efficacy profile in YTK, ready for manufacture.
Authors:
Oleksandra Rudenko
Lindsey Woolley
Gavin Partridge
Luke Pilmer
Matt Landos
Samantha Chown
Erica Starling
and Andrew C Barnes
Final Report
•
2025-05-06
•
11.96 MB
2018-101-DLD.pdf
A polyvalent killed vaccine against three bacterial pathogens - Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida (Pdp), Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae (Pdd), and Vibrio harveyi (Vh) – has been developed for the yellowtail kingfish (YTK) aquaculture industry in Australia. From August 2019 to January 2023, experimental vaccines were produced at The University of Queensland (UQ), where vaccine and challenge trials against Pdp were conducted. Vaccination and challenge trials against Pdd and Vh were conducted at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development biosecure facility, Waterman’s Bay, WA (DPIRDWA). Vaccines were evaluated in repeated fully blind tag-and-mix trials where fish were challenged by injection. The vaccine formulation developed here can effectively protect against Pdp, a fish-adapted pathogen which is the primary cause of morbidities in YTK. We would strongly recommend that kingfish are vaccinated against Pdp as a routine practice for YTK farms due to very high susceptibility to the disease spanning virtually all pathogenic strains and fish sizes. Pdd and Vh are ubiquitous marine bacteria that are frequently isolated from symptomatic fish. In contrast to Pdp, they are poorly virulent in YTK laboratory trials and are unlikely to cause disease without significant other compromise. Nonetheless, a few strains possess virulence factors which may induce acute mortality in small YTK. Since vaccine protection against Pdd and Vh components is strain-specific, careful typing of isolates is essential to identify strains posing a risk to YTK in hatcheries. The Pdp vaccine can be blended to include autogenous Pdd and Vh components comprising up to four additional strains without loss of efficacy in respective challenge trials against all three diseases.
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2024-014
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
National coordination of access to agricultural and veterinary chemicals in the Australian seafood industry
1. Provide national coordination of agricultural and veterinary (AgVet) chemical products in aquaculture
ORGANISATION:
Seafood Industry Australia (SIA)
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-206
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Blue Economy Zone - Australia's first aquaculture research trial in Commonwealth waters
Commercial in confidence
ORGANISATION:
Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre Co-Ltd
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-051
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Ecologically sustainable aquaculture growth through Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) – Incorporating IMTA nutrient modelling into regulatory frameworks.
1. Review current literature on IMTA, including existing models and data requirements.
ORGANISATION:
Flinders University
