Pengurusan Kesihatan Ikan


Programme Leader :

Name of Co-Researcher

2. Professor Dr. Abdul Rahman Omar - (Veterinary Immunology)
3. Professor Dr. Zunita Zakaria - ( Microbiology)
4. Assoc. Professor Dr. Mohd. Sabri Mohd. Yusoff - (Molecular Pathology)



Synopsis:

Fish is a major component of the average Malaysian diet and the per capita consumption of fish in 2010 amounted to 49kg, which was three times the 2005 global average of 16.4kg. Hence, the aquaculture industry is one of the fastest agriculture based growing industry which has expanded 228% over 2001 - 2010, and currently provides 29% of total table fish supply.

Fish production in Malaysia is targeted to reach 790,000 tonnes by 2020, at which point it is expected to constitute 41% of national fish supply. However, the industry is plagued by disease problems which are manifested by the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, which led to rejection of several export consignments and severe financial losses to the farmers and the industry.

In 2010, EU imposed a ban on import of aquaculture commodities from Malaysia due to lack of proper quality control system which included lack of proper fish health management. Furthermore, due to the severe disease problems, the shrimp industry had to introduce a new species as a substitute to the indigenous Penaeus monodon that was not performing well. Thus fish/shrimp health management need a holistic approach for sustainable development of the industry with input from various experts. The fish health research areas will focus on the surveillance, molecular diagnosis and immunomodulation by the following team of experts.


Keywords: Fish Health, vaccines, diagnostics


Research Highlights:

  • The group has several years of experience in fish health management and are well known in the country for their various contributions in solving disease problems.
  • The group have developed rapid diagnostic kit for detection of virus. In addition the group has also developed fish vaccines.
  • The cumulative H. Index for all researchers in the group is 63 and total publications on fish health related topics are more than 300.
  • The Veterinary Faculty has accredited laboratory and also the Aquatic Animal Health Unit which has all the facilities to do aquatic animal health research.
  • The group has received several grants some of which are listed below.

 

Procured more than RM7 million for research projects

  1. Development of Rapid Diagnostic Technologies for Screening and Control of Commercially Important Shrimp, IRPA, RM600,500.00.
  2. Hazard analysis of antimicrobial resistance associated with Asian aquacultural environment (project EC) European Commission, RM216,000.00.
  3. Mass Production of Pure Microalgae using a Photobioreactor System (2006-2009), Johore Satellite Biotechnology, RM500,000.00.
  4. Mass Production of Pure Microalgae using Clear acrylic & polyvinyl chloride automated tubular Photobioreactors with fiber optic illumination system (2009 - 2011), MOSTI, RM420,000.00.
  5. Mass production of microalgae using clear acrylic and polyvinyl chloride automated tubular photobioreactors with fibre optic illumination system, Sciencefund, RM458,000.00.


Current Projects:

  1. Immunostimulation and immunomodulation in freshwater and marine marine fishes to improve fish health.
  2. The use common local herbs as replacement of chemotherapeutants and antibiotics in aquaculture.
  3. Development of Vibriosis vaccine for Tiger grouper culture.
  4. Development of Streptococcosis vaccine for tilapia culture.

 

Recent Publications:

Banerjee, S., O. Mei-Chen, M. Shariff and H. Khatoon. Antibiotic resistant Salmonella and Vibrio associated with farmed Litopenaeus vannamei. The Scientific World Journal. Vol. 2012, Article ID 130136, 6 pages, 2012. oi:10.1100/2012/130136, 2012.

Khatoon, H., S. Banerjee, F.M. Yusoff, and M. Shariff. Use of microalgal-enriched Diaphanosoma celebensis Stingelin, 1900 for rearing Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) postlarvae. Aquaculture Nutrition. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2095.2012.00952.x. 2012.

Kuttichantran, S., Mohamed Shariff, Abdul Rahman Omar and Mohd Hair-Bejo. A review on Megalocytivirus infection in fish. Reviews in Aquaculture. 4:221-233, 2012.

Syuhaidah, A., Noraini, O., Sabri, M.Y., Emikpe, B.O., Tanko, P.N., Latifah, H, Jamil, S. Clinicopathological features and immunolocalisation of antigens in acute experimental Streptococcus agalactiae infection in Red Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). SpringerPlus (In Press). 2012.

M. Firdaus-Nawi, M.Y. Sabri, Y. Hanan, L, A. Siti-Zahrah, M. Zamri-Saad. Efficacy of feed-based adjuvant vaccine against Streptococcus agalactiae in Oreochromis spp. in Malaysia. Aquaculture Research. 1-10. 2012.

Alexander Zachariah De Silva, Mohamed Shariff, Sanjoy Banerjee and Fatimah Md. Yusoff * Growth and Quality Enhancement of Chlorella vulgaris Beyerinck (Beijerinck) 1890 Using Simple Cost-effective Medium

Rashidah Abdul Razak, Mohamed Shariff, Fatimah Md. Yusoff*, Intan Safinar.' Enhanced Growth Performance,Haemato-biochemical and Immune Parameters of Asian Seabass, Lates calcarifer (Bloch,1790) Fed Dietary Supplementation with Polygonum chinense