Breeding for increased disease resistance in Tilapia

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

Losses due to different diseases are a large problem in the tilapia industry today, with outbreaks causing huge mortalities and economic losses. Previous work done by Genomar Genetic have shown large genetic variation in resistance to Streptococcus infection in tilapia, and selection for resistance to have produced a line with significant reduction in mortality in challenge tests. Based on these results we would like to continue our work on Streptococcus and also expand our testing and selection to other common diseases. A tilapia strain more resistant to the most important diseases would not only help avoid losses in production but also decrease the need for antibiotics and vaccines in the industry. The main bacterial and viral diseases under consideration will be the ones caused by infection of flavobacterium columnare, francisella and tilapia lake virus (TiLV).