Courtesy of NAA:
Mississippi State University (MSU) developed vaccination technologies are being commercialized to help the farm-raised catfish industry save millions for the state that leads the nation in production.
In 2018, 160 catfish operations across 36,000 acres statewide totaled $164 million in production value. Additionally, Mississippi is responsible for about 90 percent of the industry’s catfish fingerling production.
Licensed and delivered by DelTaq Fish Health, LLC using an MSU-designed platform, the oral catfish vaccination service based in Bolivar County is helping combat a devastating bacterial disease that could cost the Magnolia State industry more than $40 million annually.
In 2018, more than 2,400 acres of catfish fingerlings, which have a typical commercial stocking rate at 125,000 fish per acre, were vaccinated with the MSU-developed technology to protect against enteric septicemia, or ESC, representing over 350 million stock channel and hybrid fingerling catfish.
MSU researchers in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station developed the methods to minimize ESC-related losses. Two complementary technologies were developed—a live-attenuated, patented vaccine and a patent-pending vaccine delivery method. The technology is currently used on fingerling populations; however, research is ongoing to develop vaccination strategies for stocker-sized fish.
For additional information, please visit: http://www.mafes.msstate.edu/news_item.asp?id=419.
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