Bacteriophage Therapy in Freshwater and Saltwater Aquaculture Species

Bacteriophages, or phages, which are viruses with specifically restricted tropism for bacteria, have regained interest in the last few decades as alternative therapeutic agents against antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria in animals and humans worldwide. In this context, bacteriophage therapy ha...

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Main Authors: Deborah Albarella, Paola Dall’Ara, Luciana Rossi, Lauretta Turin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Microorganisms
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/4/831
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author Deborah Albarella
Paola Dall’Ara
Luciana Rossi
Lauretta Turin
author_facet Deborah Albarella
Paola Dall’Ara
Luciana Rossi
Lauretta Turin
author_sort Deborah Albarella
collection DOAJ
description Bacteriophages, or phages, which are viruses with specifically restricted tropism for bacteria, have regained interest in the last few decades as alternative therapeutic agents against antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria in animals and humans worldwide. In this context, bacteriophage therapy has been developed to treat bacterial infections of cultured fish, shellfish, and crustaceans. Nowadays, aquaculture is the only feasible solution to meet the continuously growing global demand for high-quality seafood. As such, it is crucial to focus on controlling the spread of pathogenic bacteria, as they have a significant economic impact on aquaculture systems. Overall, the documented research supports the application of bacteriophage therapy in aquaculture, but also underlies the need for additional studies, as it is still mostly in the scientific stage. This review aims to highlight and critically examine recent advancements in the application of bacteriophages to treat the most common bacterial infectious diseases in both freshwater and saltwater aquaculture species, providing topical perspectives and innovative advances.
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spelling doaj-art-acdf13ad9f3c4f7689e2c373bf3e08192025-08-20T02:18:00ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-04-0113483110.3390/microorganisms13040831Bacteriophage Therapy in Freshwater and Saltwater Aquaculture SpeciesDeborah Albarella0Paola Dall’Ara1Luciana Rossi2Lauretta Turin3Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences—DIVAS, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, ItalyBacteriophages, or phages, which are viruses with specifically restricted tropism for bacteria, have regained interest in the last few decades as alternative therapeutic agents against antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria in animals and humans worldwide. In this context, bacteriophage therapy has been developed to treat bacterial infections of cultured fish, shellfish, and crustaceans. Nowadays, aquaculture is the only feasible solution to meet the continuously growing global demand for high-quality seafood. As such, it is crucial to focus on controlling the spread of pathogenic bacteria, as they have a significant economic impact on aquaculture systems. Overall, the documented research supports the application of bacteriophage therapy in aquaculture, but also underlies the need for additional studies, as it is still mostly in the scientific stage. This review aims to highlight and critically examine recent advancements in the application of bacteriophages to treat the most common bacterial infectious diseases in both freshwater and saltwater aquaculture species, providing topical perspectives and innovative advances.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/4/831bacteriabacteriophagephagetherapyalternative antimicrobialsantibacterial
spellingShingle Deborah Albarella
Paola Dall’Ara
Luciana Rossi
Lauretta Turin
Bacteriophage Therapy in Freshwater and Saltwater Aquaculture Species
Microorganisms
bacteria
bacteriophage
phage
therapy
alternative antimicrobials
antibacterial
title Bacteriophage Therapy in Freshwater and Saltwater Aquaculture Species
title_full Bacteriophage Therapy in Freshwater and Saltwater Aquaculture Species
title_fullStr Bacteriophage Therapy in Freshwater and Saltwater Aquaculture Species
title_full_unstemmed Bacteriophage Therapy in Freshwater and Saltwater Aquaculture Species
title_short Bacteriophage Therapy in Freshwater and Saltwater Aquaculture Species
title_sort bacteriophage therapy in freshwater and saltwater aquaculture species
topic bacteria
bacteriophage
phage
therapy
alternative antimicrobials
antibacterial
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/4/831
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AT paoladallara bacteriophagetherapyinfreshwaterandsaltwateraquaculturespecies
AT lucianarossi bacteriophagetherapyinfreshwaterandsaltwateraquaculturespecies
AT laurettaturin bacteriophagetherapyinfreshwaterandsaltwateraquaculturespecies