New Zealand: Kiwi scientists work on world-first herpes vaccine for Pacific oysters to help industry recover

Kiwi scientists are developing a world-first vaccine to protect oysters against a deadly disease that has crippled our multi-million-dollar industry. Pacific oyster farmers have been struggling to stay afloat since the herpes virus began killing the shellfish in 2010, wiping out about 70 percent of their stock. But now, help is finally on the horizon. Previously, a vaccine was thought impossible for shellfish, and then a breakthrough was made. "Very recently, research revealed that shellfish can have an immune memory, so when exposed one time to a pathogen they respond better a second time," said shellfish physiologist Lizenn Delisle. The discovery has opened the door for scientists to develop a vaccine. Earlier this year Nelson's Cawthron Institute was granted $1 million over three years from the Government's Endeavour Fund to create a practical vaccine. Delisle and her colleague Julien Vignier are leading the project. They've just finished phase one, where they screened 45 ...