INCAR 2025 Latin American Seminar to Highlight Breakthroughs in Aquaculture Disease Vaccines

• The webinar will take place on October 20 and 22 via Zoom and will bring together specialists from Norway, the United States, Peru, Colombia, Cuba, and Chile.

The Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR) has confirmed the second edition of the Latin American Seminar on Aquaculture Diseases, which this time will focus on the topic “Vaccine Development to Prevent Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases in Aquaculture: Lessons and Experiences.” The event will take place in October 2025.

Following its successful debut in 2023, the seminar returns with a specialized focus on the development and application of vaccines to combat bacterial and viral diseases affecting farmed aquatic species.

The initiative, led by Dr. Ruben Avendaño-Herrera, Principal Investigator of the “Animal Health in Freshwater Life Stages of Salmonids” research line at INCAR and Professor at Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB), will bring together eight specialists from six countries across two virtual sessions scheduled for October 20 and 22.

The preliminary program for the October 20 session includes the following presentations:

• “Vaccines Against Piscirickettsiosis: A Disease with Potential Global Impact,” by Dr. Jaime Tobar, R&D and Business Development Director at Vaxxinova (Norway)
• “Immersion Vaccination in Chilean Salmon Farming: From Strategy to Results,” by Dr. Matías Poblete, Technical Submanager for Biologicals at Veterquímica (Chile)
• “Fish Vaccination Experiences in Peru: Field Evidence with Native and Exotic Fish Species,” by Dr. Jefferson Yunis Aguinaga, Researcher at the Aquatic Pathology Laboratory of the Sea Institute of Peru (IMARPE, Peru)
• “Vaccine Strategies Against Piscine Lactococcosis,” by Dr. Esteban Soto Martínez, Associate Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis (USA)

Meanwhile, the October 22 session will feature:

• “Caligus and Its Impact on Salmon Farming,” by Dr. Cristian Gallardo-Escárate, Deputy Director of INCAR (Chile)
• “Prime-Boost Vaccination with Chimeric Antigens Confers Protection Against Experimental Lepeophtheirus salmonis Infestation in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.),” by Dr. Mario Pablo Estrada García, Director of Agricultural Research at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB, Cuba)
• “Successful Interinstitutional Cooperation with a One Health Approach in Managing Streptococcosis in Tilapia in Colombia,” by Dr. Paola Barato, Founder, Executive Director, and Scientific Director of Corpavet (Colombia)
• “Development of an Experimental Vaccine to Prevent Tenacibaculosis Caused by Tenacibaculum dicentrarchi in Atlantic Salmon,” by Dr. Ruben Avendaño-Herrera, Principal Investigator at INCAR (Chile)

The sessions will be held via Zoom and registration is free. For inquiries and registration, please contact edgarvera@udec.cl.