Spanish National Research Council

The Fish Pathology group of IATS has two main objectives: 1) The comprehensive knowledge of the most important parasitic diseases affecting farmed fish and 2) The articulation of prevention and control measures in aquaculture. For this purpose, multiple techniques are applied in the fields of microscopy, epidemiology, histology, immunology, cellular and molecular biology, etc.

The main lines of research are:

Development of advanced parasitological diagnostic methods, including their application in farms.
Development of methods for the control of parasitic diseases, including testing of compounds and bioactive substances.
Development of prevention methods, including vaccines.
Study of parasite life cycles, vectors and risk factors involved in transmission.
Description of new parasite species and detection of emerging and re-emerging parasites in aquaculture facilities.
Evaluation of the effects of feed components and additives on immune status and susceptibility to parasitic infections.
Study of fish mucosal microbiota and its modulation by pathogens.
Study of the immune response of fish against parasitosis, at local and systemic level by means of histopathological, immunohistochemical, serological and “omic” studies.