Tilapia lake virus: understanding incidence, enhancing resistance, and exploring seaweed therapies

In the aquaculture industry, tilapia farming stands out as one of the most lucrative and rapidly expanding trades. The farming of tilapia has witnessed significant growth due to its high protein content, large size, fast growth, and culinary appeal. However, as aquaculture becomes more intensive, tilapia are increasingly susceptible to emerging infections. Epidemics of tilapia lake virus (TiLV) disease during the summer months have been observed to cause significant mortality in tilapia across various life stages. Seaweed-derived bioactive substances have been extensively studied for their broad antiviral properties. These compounds can enhance the host’s immune responses or directly target and inhibit virus replication before it infects host cells. Highlighting the serious concerns of emerging disease in farmed tilapia, and possibility of exploring novel compounds for disease remediation, the present review explores seaweeds as a valuable source of antiviral agents for the development of innovative vaccines and medications against TiLV. The review highlights future research directions to expedite the development of new disease treatments in tilapia farming.