An advanced approach toward highly efficient indigenous probiotics to reduce antibiotic usage in shrimp aquaculture in Vietnam

 

Overuse and misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics in aquaculture practices, especially in shrimp aquaculture in many developing countries, are leading to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among microbes and pathogens. This trend is threatening the effective treatment and prevention of infections in aquatic cultured species, resulting in disease outbreaks and massive economic loss in coastal areas. Currently, probiotics containing beneficial gut microbes are being widely used in shrimp aquaculture as an ecologically appropriate alternative to reduce infections and increase shrimp productivity. However, most microbes used for current probiotics originate from somewhere other than the shrimp gut, resulting in insufficient persistence and proliferation in the brackish environment and in gastrointestinal ecology.

This project’s objective is to develop shrimp probiotics from wild shrimp to control vibriosis on shrimp farms. The research team will investigate the gut microbiota in juvenile and sub-adult individuals of wild-caught and cultured shrimps collected from different geographic locations in Vietnam. This work will be performed with the inclusion of farmers to demonstrate the efficacy and reliability of the candidate product in production conditions. The efficiency of these new indigenous probiotics will be demonstrated in the increased survival rate and productivity of cultured shrimp by stimulating the immune responses of shrimp, suppressing pathogens and improving water quality. The project will also develop procedures for mass production of the selected probiotic strain and investigate the possibility of registration and commercialization of the new probiotic product.

This project is funded through InnoVet-AMR2, a four-year partnership between IDRC and the United Kingdom’s Department of Health and Social Care. The initiative is aimed at reducing the emerging risk that AMR in animals poses to global health and food security.