Treatment of parasitic infections of fish surfaces

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of bacterial lipopeptide biosurfactants in the treatment of white spot disease in fresh water and marine fish. Particularly useful for treatment of white spot disease are viscosin-like lipopeptide biosurfactants obtainable from the Pseudomonas fluorescens strain H6, massetolide or a derivative thereof and putisolvin or a derivative thereof.

1 . A lipopeptide biosurfactant for use in the treatment of white spot disease in fish such as fresh water fish and marine fish. 
     
     
         2 . A lipopeptide biosurfactant according to  claim 1  selected from (a) a viscosin lipopeptide or a derivative thereof (b) a massetolide or a derivative thereof and (c) a putisolvin or a derivative thereof for use in the treatment of white spot disease in fish. 
     
     
         3 . A lipopeptide biosurfactant according to  claim 1  selected from (a) a viscosin or a derivative thereof (b) a massetolide or a derivative thereof and (c) a putisolvin or a derivative thereof for use in the treatment of  Ichthyophthirius multifillis  infection in fish. 
     
     
         4 . A lipopeptide biosurfactant according to  claim 2 , wherein the viscosin lipopeptide is a viscosin-like lipopeptide obtainable from the  Pseudomonas fluorescens  strain H6. 
     
     
         5 . A lipopeptide biosurfactant according to  claim 1 , wherein the biosurfactant has a concentration of 10-1000 μg/ml. 
     
     
         6 . A composition comprising at least one lipopeptide biosurfactant for use in the treatment of white spot disease in fish such as fresh water fish and marine fish 
     
     
         7 . A composition according to  claim 6  wherein the composition comprises at least one lipopeptide biosurfactant selected from (a) a viscosin lipopeptide or a derivative thereof (b) a massetolide or a derivative thereof and (c) a putisolvin or a derivative thereof. 
     
     
         8 . A composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the lipopeptide biosurfactant is a lipopeptide obtainable from the  Pseudomonas fluorescens  strain H6. 
     
     
         9 . A composition according to  claim 6  comprising at least one lipopeptide biosurfactant for use in the treatment of  Ichthyophthirius multifillis  infection in fresh water fish. 
     
     
         10 . A composition according to  claim 6  comprising a bacterial lipopeptide biosurfactant selected from (a) a lipopeptide obtainable from the  Pseudomonas fluorescens  strain H6 (b) a massetolide and (c) a putisolvin for use in the treatment of  Ichthyophthirius multifillis  infection in fish. 
     
     
         11 . A composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the biosurfactant has a concentration of 10-1000 μg/ml. 
     
     
         12 . A bacterial isolate, wherein the bacteria produce a lipopeptide surfactant for use in the treatment of white spot disease in fish, such as fresh in water fish and in marine fish. 
     
     
         13 . A bacterial isolate according to  claim 12 , wherein the bacteria produce a massetolide or derivative thereof for use in the treatment of white spot disease in fish. 
     
     
         14 . A bacterial isolate according to  claim 12  producing a putisolvin or a derivative thereof for use in the treatment of white spot disease in fish. 
     
     
         15 . A bacterial isolate of the  Pseudomonas fluorescens  strain H6 for use in the treatment of  Ichthyophthirius multifillis  infection in fresh water fish.