Both fundamental knowledge as well as practical approaches regarding research in animal health have been progressively growing for the last years, particularly in farmed animals. Technological advances and basic knowledge in studies from mammals and birds have encouraged a deeper understanding of this topic in aquatic animals, mainly due to current concerns regarding animal welfare and avoidance in the use of antimicrobials. Indeed, unsuitable farming conditions can lead to antibiotic overuse as prophylactic and therapeutic treatments, being a major cause for the emergence and widespread of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, alternative and sustainable management strategies against infection episodes are urgently needed, including a better understanding of the host-pathogen interactions.
The lack of reliable health biomarkers for aquatic animals is a bottleneck in the development of therapeutic strategies. Currently, approaches are being directed to prophylactic actions such as vaccination or dietary immune stimulation, pointing to an even bigger urge to improve knowledge for aquatic farmed invertebrates. Moreover, recent knowledge also uncovered the great importance of rearing systems and husbandry management to tackle the appearance of opportunistic pathogens. The goal of this research topic is to gather recent and innovative studies on the health of farmed aquatic animals from both therapeutic and prophylactic perspectives and whenever possible providing holistic approaches on the organism, in a way to further explore integrated local (e.g. mucosal) and systemic immune responses. It is also intended to gather studies with biotechnological and zootechnical approaches with the aim of improving aquatic animal health.
This topic welcomes research articles or reviews dealing with strategies to improve aquatic animal health in vertebrates (i.e. fish) or invertebrates (e.g. molluscs and crustaceans). Since health issues allow studies from multidisciplinary approaches, many different fields can be included in the present research topic (e.g., immunology, reproduction, endocrinology, nutrition, genetic selection, precision farming, and modeling). In this sense, studies on new approaches and technologies related to animals’ immunization (e.g. vaccination) are welcome, as well as those focusing on the improvement and/or modulation of animal’s health condition. For instance, immunomodulation through functional feeds, either at systemic or mucosal host defense systems. Studies regarding fundamental and clinical research on the role of immunity as well as oxidative stress responses during mucosal host-pathogen interactions undergoing inflammatory conditions and infection may also be suited.
Both fundamental knowledge as well as practical approaches regarding research in animal health have been progressively growing for the last years, particularly in farmed animals. Technological advances and basic knowledge in studies from mammals and birds have encouraged a deeper understanding of this topic in aquatic animals, mainly due to current concerns regarding animal welfare and avoidance in the use of antimicrobials. Indeed, unsuitable farming conditions can lead to antibiotic overuse as prophylactic and therapeutic treatments, being a major cause for the emergence and widespread of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, alternative and sustainable management strategies against infection episodes are urgently needed, including a better understanding of the host-pathogen interactions.
The lack of reliable health biomarkers for aquatic animals is a bottleneck in the development of therapeutic strategies. Currently, approaches are being directed to prophylactic actions such as vaccination or dietary immune stimulation, pointing to an even bigger urge to improve knowledge for aquatic farmed invertebrates. Moreover, recent knowledge also uncovered the great importance of rearing systems and husbandry management to tackle the appearance of opportunistic pathogens. The goal of this research topic is to gather recent and innovative studies on the health of farmed aquatic animals from both therapeutic and prophylactic perspectives and whenever possible providing holistic approaches on the organism, in a way to further explore integrated local (e.g. mucosal) and systemic immune responses. It is also intended to gather studies with biotechnological and zootechnical approaches with the aim of improving aquatic animal health.
This topic welcomes research articles or reviews dealing with strategies to improve aquatic animal health in vertebrates (i.e. fish) or invertebrates (e.g. molluscs and crustaceans). Since health issues allow studies from multidisciplinary approaches, many different fields can be included in the present research topic (e.g., immunology, reproduction, endocrinology, nutrition, genetic selection, precision farming, and modeling). In this sense, studies on new approaches and technologies related to animals’ immunization (e.g. vaccination) are welcome, as well as those focusing on the improvement and/or modulation of animal’s health condition. For instance, immunomodulation through functional feeds, either at systemic or mucosal host defense systems. Studies regarding fundamental and clinical research on the role of immunity as well as oxidative stress responses during mucosal host-pathogen interactions undergoing inflammatory conditions and infection may also be suited.
