review · Biology
Streptococcus agalactiae, also recognised as Group B Lancefield, is an important pathogen affecting humans, terrestrial animals, and aquatic species worldwide. The bacterium is an expanding threat in global aquaculture, triggering widespread outbreaks that cause severe morbidity and high mortality in warm-water freshwater and marine fish. Cultured Nile tilapia is one of the aquatic species most severely affected by these infections. This review examines Streptococcus agalactiae infection in farmed Nile tilapia, detailing its transmission routes, infection sources, and contributing risk factors. It covers disease characteristics including clinical signs, tissue lesions, pathogenesis, and key virulence factors. Finally, the work outlines methods for diagnosing, treating, and preventing infections, highlighting disease control options such as vaccination programmes and herbal extract medications.
Streptococcus agalactiae poses a major challenge to aquaculture by driving severe disease and stock losses in farmed Nile tilapia. Understanding how this pathogen spreads, presents, and causes damage is vital for aquatic animal health specialists. Compiling knowledge on diagnosis, alongside preventive measures like vaccines and herbal remedies, helps the fish-farming sector mitigate mortality and sustain production in warm-water environments.
The work highlights management options relevant to fish farmers, aquatic health specialists, and veterinary pharmaceutical developers. It identifies application pathways in the form of diagnostic methods, vaccines, and herbal extract medications. Because the text is an overview of existing knowledge rather than an evaluation of a newly developed product, any specific therapeutic or vaccine solutions remain at a developmental stage requiring independent field testing.
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<i>Streptococcus agalactiae</i> (Group B Lancefield) has emerged as a significant pathogen affecting both humans and animals, including aquatic species. Infections caused by <i>S. agalactiae</i> are becoming a growing concern in aquaculture and have been reported globally in various freshwater and marine fish species, particularly those inhabiting warm water environments. This has led to numerous outbreaks with high morbidity and mortality in fish. Nile tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>), a member of the Cichlid family, is one of the severely affected fish species by <i>S. agalactiae.</i> The current study aims to focus on <i>S. agalactiae</i> infection in cultured <i>O. niloticus</i> with reference to its transmission and sources of infection; risk factors influencing GBS infection, disease clinical signs, lesions, and pathogenesis; <i>S. agalactiae</i> virulence factors; and how to diagnose, treat, control, and prevent infection including vaccination and herbal extract medication.
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DOI: 10.3390/biology13110914
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