Vaccine To Fight Prawn Disease Discovered

Professor Dr Phang Siew Moi, who is leading the research on the vaccine, said it could trigger the immune system in penaeid prawns towards the WSSV, using the VP28 viral coat protein that could protect the prawn from the deadly disease.

She told the news organisation Bernama the prawn was not a genetically-modified organism.

"When the shrimp eats the vaccine, it will start producing immunisation. So, the vaccine just stimulates the immune response.

"It's interesting. We are not transforming the prawn. We can eat the prawn," Dr Phang told Bernama Thursday.

She said the finding was the first of its kind in the country and further testing was currently being conducted before it could be commercialised.

The RM2 million vaccine formulation research project is funded by the science, technology and innovation ministry and expected to be completed in November, this year, says Bernama.

TheFishSite News Desk

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