The Interplay Between Pathogen–Host–Environment on the Emergence of Disease

Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic animals and plants, is not just an important economic activity, but also a sustainable option to provide protein-rich food to the ever-growing global population. To meet global demand, aquaculture production practices have intensified both in technological and practical measures. However, the pressure for intensification and further expansion of culture systems has created many problems, and the aquaculture industry is facing serious issues due to diseases. According to the World Bank (2014), the annual loss due to diseases in aquaculture is more than USD 6 billion. So far, even in cases where the clinical signs of diseases have been well described, little is known about how the presence of a pathogen may impact or interact with the microbial communities in the gut.

The microbes that colonize the gut, generally referred to as the gut microbiota or the gut microbiome, interact with their host and contribute to several key host processes, including digestion and immunity. In this regard, the interplay between the Pathogen–host–and environment decides the Emergence of Disease and is recognized as an essential driver of cultivation success. Understanding the Pathogen–host–and environment correlation is crucial for the health and functioning of fish and shrimp, in terms of biomarker discovery and development of new therapeutic approaches.

In this Research Topic, we encourage researchers from across the world to contribute their cutting-edge work on recent advances in pathogen–host–and environment interaction in fish and shrimp. All types of articles focusing on the following will be considered for publication, including brief research reports, original research articles, and reviews:

- composition and functioning of the aquatic microbiome in normal and pathological conditions
- interactions between ‘health-promoting’ microorganisms and disease-caused pathogens
- the discovery of microbial biomarkers in health status and dysbiosis
- epidemiology and risk factors in disease outbreak
- animal models on the aquatic microenvironment
- innovative antibiotic-free treatments for pathogen infections
- changes in specific physiological mechanisms