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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408629
Research Project: Enhancing the Production of Hybrid Striped Bass Through Improved Genetics, Nutrition, Production Management, and Fish Health

Location: Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr

Title: Bacteriophage endolysin treatment for systemic infection of Streptococcus iniae in hybrid striped bass

Author
item Deshotel, Michael
item DAVE, URMIL - University Of Maryland
item KEMBOI, DANIEL - University Of Maryland
item Farmer, Bradley
item NELSON, DANIEL - University Of Maryland

Submitted to: Fish and Shellfish Immunology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2023
Publication Date: 12/16/2023
Citation: Deshotel, M.B., Dave, U.M., Kemboi, D., Farmer, B.D., Nelson, D.C. 2023. Bacteriophage endolysin treatment for systemic infection of Streptococcus iniae in hybrid striped bass. Fish and Shellfish Immunology. 145. Article 109296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2023.109296.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsi.2023.109296

Interpretive Summary: Aquaculture outbreaks of Streptococcus iniae (S. iniae) causes approximately $150 million loss annually within the industry. There is only one approved antibiotic within the United States for treating these infections; however, there have already been 7 resistance genes found. Thus, a new method of treating S. iniae is sorely needed. We developed a new non-antibiotic antimicrobial protein that kills S. iniae upon contact and demonstrated a 95% survival rate in infected hybrid striped bass.

Technical Abstract: Aquaculture outbreaks of Streptococcus iniae (S. iniae) causes approximately $150 million losses annually within the industry. There is only one approved antibiotic within the United States. for treating these infections; however, there have already been 7 resistance genes found. Thus, a new method of treating S. iniae is sorely needed. We developed three new non-antibiotic antimicrobial proteins that kill S. iniae upon contact. During the in vitro phase of testing, these antibiotics demonstrated the ability to kill all the strains (7) of S. iniae in our collection. To evaluate the in vivo efficacy of these proteins, we treated hybrid striped bass infected with a lethal dose of S. iniae with each individual protein, a cocktail of all three proteins combined, and compared them against a control antibiotic. One of the proteins demonstrated a 95% survival rate whereas the control antibiotic demonstrated an 85% survival rate.