Phage-Based Biocontrol Strategies and Application in Aquatic Animal Disease Prevention and Control

Abstract

Aquaculture is essential for meeting future demands for food, yet it faces significant losses from infectious bacterial diseases. Aquaculture has recently been critically imperiled by the emergence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria, as it relies significantly on the use of antibiotics for prevention and treatment. The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria poses a critical threat to aquaculture, which heavily relies on antibiotics for prevention and treatment. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy has regained attention with the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. Phages are viruses that specifically infect bacteria and archaea. As a promising therapeutic strategy for aquatic bacterial diseases, phage therapy offers strong specificity, low resistance potential, rapid metabolism, ease of development, and cost-effectiveness. In this review, we discuss the advantages, opportunities, and challenges of phage therapy, summarizing the status of research and highlighting emerging technologies aimed at enhancing phage therapy in aquaculture. Finally, the review looks to the future, identifying scientific and technological advances necessary to establish phage therapy as a viable and universal alternative to antibiotics in aquaculture.