Over the past years, there has been a rise in outbreaks and mortality linked to Renibacterium salmoninarum, the pathogen responsible for Bacterial Kidney Disease (BKD) in salmonids, especially in the Magallanes region. While progress has been made in vaccines against this pathogen, current vaccines are limited by factors such as the duration of immunity, the type of immune response elicited, and the specificity against certain bacterial strains, thus presenting multiple challenges
Through the Anid-Fondef project N°ID21I10066, Dr. Alejandro Yáñez, academic from Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh) and Adjunct Researcher at the INCAR Center, delved into this important subject. The results of this project were disclosed during the final Bio BKD seminar on April 16. The project focused on evaluating a prototype vaccine based on a protein fraction of R. salmoninarum, investigating how this vaccine induces innate and adaptive immunity in in vitro and in vivo models of the Atlantic salmon. The activation of the immune response in Atlantic salmon by this vaccine prototype makes it a promising candidate for future Renibacteriosis vaccines. Nevertheless, further trials under controlled conditions and with approval from Chilean regulatory authorities are necessary to confirm the immune response triggered by the vaccine.
A more effective vaccine against Renibacteriosis in the future could lead to a reduction in antibiotic use, prompting research into the long-term impacts of sustainable management practices on environmental health and salmon populations. Therefore, the outcomes of this project developing a new vaccine prototype against R. salmoninarum present numerous research avenues that have the potential to revolutionize aquaculture.
