Fish Disease Prevention: Immune Defense and Vaccine Development

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Welfare, Health and Disease".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 566

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315000, China
Interests: aquaculture; disease prevention and control; vaccine;physiology and pathology; immunology; toxicology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: aquaculture; disease prevention and control; vaccine; immunology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the continuous expansion of intensive aquaculture, disease prevention has become one of the most critical challenges facing aquaculture. The outbreak of infectious diseases not only leads to significant economic losses but also threatens the sustainability and environmental safety of aquaculture practices. Strengthening immune defense mechanisms and promoting vaccine development are therefore essential strategies to enhance disease resistance in aquatic species and support a healthy aquaculture system.

This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality research articles and reviews on recent advances in understanding immune mechanisms, developing effective vaccines, and implementing practical disease prevention strategies in farmed fish and other aquatic animals. We welcome submissions of original research articles, reviews, and perspectives related to, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Innate and adaptive immune mechanisms in aquatic species;
  • Development and efficacy evaluation of vaccines against major aquatic pathogens;
  • Immunostimulants and functional feed additives for enhancing disease resistance;
  • Diagnostic tools and health monitoring techniques for early disease detection;
  • Interaction between nutrition, immunity, and disease prevention;
  • Pathogen virulence factors and host–pathogen interactions;
  • Biosecurity measures and sustainable disease management practices;
  • Emerging approaches: phage therapy, quorum quenching, nanotechnology, and microbiome modulation.

Dr. Rongrong Ma
Dr. Yongxiang Yu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • fish disease prevention
  • immune mechanisms
  • vaccine development
  • diagnostics and biosecurity
  • aquaculture

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 8687 KB  
Article
Protective Effects of Carvacrol Against Vibrio harveyi Infection in Sebastes schlegelii and Its Underlying Mechanisms
by Tianwei Wang, Yongxiang Yu, Chunyuan Wang, Yingeng Wang, Zhiqi Zhang, Xiaojun Rong, Meijie Liao, Kun Hu and Zheng Zhang
Fishes 2026, 11(5), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes11050273 - 6 May 2026
Viewed by 217
Abstract
The inappropriate use of antibiotics in aquaculture has exacerbated antimicrobial resistance in pathogens, thereby reducing the efficiency of aquaculture production. Therefore, it is crucial to develop effective antibiotic alternatives capable of inhibiting pathogenic bacteria. Against this background, the present study investigated the efficacy [...] Read more.
The inappropriate use of antibiotics in aquaculture has exacerbated antimicrobial resistance in pathogens, thereby reducing the efficiency of aquaculture production. Therefore, it is crucial to develop effective antibiotic alternatives capable of inhibiting pathogenic bacteria. Against this background, the present study investigated the efficacy and underlying mechanism of carvacrol against Vibrio harveyi in the mariculture of the marine fish Sebastes schlegelii, aiming to provide data support for the development of green fishery drugs to replace antibiotics. The results indicated that pre-treatment with carvacrol increased the survival rate of infected S. schlegelii. Meanwhile, post-infection administration of carvacrol alleviated intestinal pathological damage. Carvacrol regulated host immunity by modulating the transcription of the immune-related genes NF-κB/RelA and IL-15. Carvacrol did not significantly alter the activities of SOD, MDA, or CAT, suggesting that the oxidative defense pathway was not primarily involved. Analysis of intestinal Vibrio load confirmed that carvacrol could inhibit the growth and colonization of intestinal Vibrio, thereby maintaining microbial homeostasis. Immunohistochemistry and peripheral blood flow cytometry showed that carvacrol enhanced the adaptive immunity of fish by increasing the proportions of CD4-1+ T cells and CD79a/CD79b+ B cells in tissues and peripheral blood. In conclusion, carvacrol enhances the resistance of S. schlegelii against V. harveyi by inhibiting pathogenic bacteria, improving intestinal morphological structure, reducing pathogenic bacterial load to maintain microbial homeostasis, and enhancing the adaptive immunity of the organism. This study provides a theoretical basis and data support for the substitution of antibiotics and the development of green feed additives in aquaculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fish Disease Prevention: Immune Defense and Vaccine Development)
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