The Inactivation of Pathogens in Aquaculture Systems

Abstract

As aquaculture has become a significant provider of the human diet, the interest to have better quality of sea and fresh products has been increasing. However the potential hazards associated with pathogenic agents resulting in losses to the industry are major concerns that provided the motivation for this study.The use of ultraviolet irradiation is an alternative to disinfect water in inlet and outlet water sources. However the ultraviolet disinfection method has some drawbacks including no disinfectant residuals and high cost of lamp fouling and replacement. The ultraviolet system needs to be calibrated according with the life time of the ultraviolet lamps.The MS-2 coliphage in this study is an approach to determine a good indicator for determining if an ultraviolet system can be effective in an aquaculture recirculation system. The susceptibility of this system can provide an indication if WSSV can be inactivated and possible other pathogenic agents.The WSSV experiment was successful in reducing mortality. Further studies have to be completed and analyzed before recommending for control of other pathogens.