Vaccines to Prevent Diseases in Aquaculture. Biotechnological Advances in Aquaculture Health Management

Abstract

Preventive measures are very important and have become a part of sustainable and healthy aquaculture. Aquaculture involves the culture of huge number of animals, and therapy is not an option, and hence disease prevention by vaccination is an important strategy. Vaccination helps in control and spread of diseases, thereby reducing the application of antibiotics. Vaccination increases the resistance to diseases and provides protection to unvaccinated fish through herd immunity. Vaccination is generally a safe and economically acceptable preventive measure, and hence, it has become a common practice in modern aquaculture. Vaccines are of several types and administered in different ways; each have their pros and cons. Several adjuvants are also used in vaccines to enhance the efficacy of the existing formulations. Vaccines thus help to strengthen the quote “prevention is better than cure.