The relationship between vaccine dose and efficacy in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus vaccinated as fry with a live attenuated strain of Edwardsiella ictaluri (RE-33)


D.J. Wise, J.S. Terhune-2001

Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 32(2): 177-183  (from Current Contents)

Abstract :

Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were vaccinated at 12 d of age (post-hatch) by a 2-min bath immersion with attenuated Edwardsiella ictaluri RE-33 at doses of 2.5 x 10(5), 2.5 x 10(6), and 2.4 x 10(7) colony-forming units CFU/mL of water. Following vaccination, RE-33 was recovered from a greater percentage of fry that were vaccinated at the high and intermediate doses compared to fry vaccinated at the lowest dose. Independent of dose, the greatest percentage of RE-33 positive fry occurred between 1 and 6 d post-vaccination with a significant decrease in positive fry observed on day 12. A significant increase in mortality occurred 6 to 12 d post-vaccination in fry vaccinated at the highest dose. No differences in post-vaccination mortalities occurred between the other treatments. Following virulent E. ictaluri challenge, mortalities of fish vaccinated at doses of 2.5 x 10(6) and 2.4 x 10(7) CFU/mL were significantly less than those of fish vaccinated at 2.5 x 10(5) CFU/mL and sham-vaccinated control fish. These data show that vaccination with RE-33 can offer protection against subsequent virulent E. ictaluri infection.

(Thad Cochran Natl Warmwater Aquaculture Ctr, POB 197, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA)


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