Tag virus

Scottish biotech firm Fixed Phage aims to bottle the powers of bacteriophages to deploy these “bacteria killers” on some of the world’s most destructive aquaculture diseases. 

Initially, a new chip loaded with oyster DNA pieces will identify oysters resistant to the herpes virus, but in the future it may be able to identify oysters with other desirable characteristics, such as faster growth rates. 

Since bivalve shellfish filter large volumes of water to feed, they can accumulate and concentrate bacteria and viruses from various pollution sources. Among enteric viruses, noroviruses are the leading cause of gastroenteritis in humans who consume affected shellfish. Current wastewater treatments fail to enZsure the complete removal of viral pathogens that can be discharged into fresh, marine and estuarine waters and therefore contaminate shellfish-growing waters. The detection of noroviruses in food relies on molecular techniques. 

Commercially harvested shellfish have been reported to cause gastro-enteritis when humans consume virus-contaminated products. Rotaviruses are one of the main types of viruses able to survive and persist in the aquatic environment. 

Environmental and fish health problems have affected Chile’s salmon farmers since 2004. As production ramped up, 2006 saw an increase in sea lice that reduced output. In 2007, infectious salmon anemia spread across the farming region and quickly cut production. 

Based on a phylogenetic analysis with the BEAST program, the authors determined the evolutionary relationships among 83 Taura syndrome virus isolates.