Bayesian genomic models boost prediction accuracy for survival to Streptococcus agalactiae infection in Nile tilapia (Oreochromus nilioticus).

Background: Streptococcosis is a major bacterial disease in Nile tilapia that is caused by Streptococcus agalactiae infection, and development of resistant strains of Nile tilapia represents a sustainable approach towards combating this disease. In this study, we performed a controlled disease trial on 120 full-sib families to (i) quantify and characterize the potential of genomic selection for survival to S. agalactiae infection in Nile tilapia, and (ii) identify the best genomic model and the optimal density of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for this trait.