Indian Immunologicals, CIFA to collaborate for fish vaccine

Ink MoU for commercial development of a vaccine against hemorrhagic septicemia in freshwater fishes

Vaccine maker Indian Immunologicals (IIL) on Monday announced a partnership with the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) for commercial development of a vaccine against hemorrhagic septicemia in freshwater fish.

This is in continuation of IIL’s foray in October 2022 into aqua business with products for aquaculture health market dealing with pond management and fish or shrimp gut management. Subsequently, it had announced commercial development of fish vaccines with the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE).

Also called aeromonas septicemia, ulcer disease or red-sore disease, hemorrhagic septicemia in freshwater fishes is caused by aeromonas hydrophila, an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium. It is the scourge of fresh and brackish water fish farming worldwide and considered a significant economic problem in Indian aquaculture. All the cultured freshwater fish species in India like rohu, catla, mrigal, silver carp, grass carp, common carp, medium carps, channel catfish and eel are susceptible to this disease, IIL said in a release.

An Indian Council of Agricultural Research Institute, CIFA is based in Bhubaneswar. Stating that there are no fish vaccines available in the country on a commercial scale to prevent aquaculture infections, ICAR-CIFA director Pramoda Kumar Sahoo said scientists from CIFA have conducted years of research to develop vaccine candidate against aeromonas septicemia. “I am glad IIL has come forward for commercial development of this vaccine,” he said.

“IIL is the first in India to get to fish vaccines. We are working at multiple-fronts in defining pathways for commercial development of fish vaccines,” IIL managing director K.Anand Kumar said.