The illness with the biggest economic impact on Chile’s salmon farming sector is Salmonid Rickettsial Septicemia (SRS) caused by the bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis, which results in significant mortality rates during the last phase of their productive cycle at sea (Rozas & Enriquez, 2014). Antimicrobials, most frequently florfenicol, remain the major treatment and control option for this infection because currently and commercially available vaccinations have not shown the expected efficacy levels (SERNAPESCA, 2016). Botanicals are frequently employed in zootechnical feed additives for terrestrial animals, and they are gaining popularity as an alternative to using antibiotics for their antimicrobic and immunostimulants properties (Beltran & Esteban, 2022; Kuralkar & Kuralkar, 2021; Rossi et al., 2020). To the best of our knowledge, there are not many research on aquaculture, and nothing is known about how they affect SRS control. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility in using the active principles of Prototype α, a thymol-based blend of botanicals, as a mean to support the control of the seasonal outbreaks of SRS.
Discover More: Caruso et al. (2023). Aquaculture Europe 2023