Efficacy of a polyvalent immersion vaccine against Flavobacterium psychrophilum and evaluation of immune response to vaccination in rainbow trout fry ( Onchorynchus mykiss L.)

AbstractRainbow trout fry syndrome (RTFS) is a disease caused by the Gram-negative bacteriumFlavobacterium psychrophilum, responsible for significant economic losses in salmonid aquaculture worldwide. The diversity ofF. psychrophilum isolates and the inherent difficulties in vaccinating juvenile fish has hampered the development of a vaccine for RTFS. Disease episodes tend to occur between 10 –14 °C with necrotic lesions often seen on the skin surrounding the dorsal fin and tail. At present no commercial vaccines are available for RTFS in the UK, leaving antibiotics as the only course of action to control disease outbreaks. The current work was performed as a pilot study to assess th e efficacy of a polyvalent, whole cell vaccine containing formalin-inactivatedF. psychrophilum, to induce protective immunity in rainbow trout fry. Duplicate groups of 30 trout (5  g) were immersed in 1 L of the vaccine for 30 s. Samples were taken 4 h, day 2 and 7 post-vaccination (pv) of skin mucus, tissues for histology and gene expression analysis; serum and histology samples were taken 6 weeks pv. A booster vaccination was given at 315 degree days (dd) also by imme rsion. Challenge was by immersion with a heterologous isolate ofF. psychrophilum 630  dd post primary vaccination. The vaccine provided significant protection to the trout fry with a RPS of 84% (p <  0.0001). Detection of increased numbers of IgT positive cells in systemic organs, up-regulation ofIgT expression in ...
Source: Veterinary Research - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research