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Antibiotic protection against recrudescence of latent Aeromonas salmonicida during furunculosis vaccination
Author(s) -
Inglis V,
Robertson D,
Miller K,
Thompson K D,
Richards R H
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of fish diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1365-2761
pISSN - 0140-7775
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2761.1996.d01-86.x
Subject(s) - aeromonas salmonicida , vaccination , biology , immunosuppression , subclinical infection , population , immune system , outbreak , antibiotics , immunology , immunity , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , medicine , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery , environmental health
Problems of temporary immunosuppression following vaccination against Aeromonas salmonicida infection had to be overcome in the development of a furunculosis vaccine. Empirical observations have indicated that immunosuppression persists for some time after vaccination, rendering fish, especially subclinical carriers of A. salmonicida , highly vulnerable to bacterial invasion. The efficacy of simultaneous application of furunculosis vaccine and a long‐lasting amoxycillin preparation to a population of Atlantic salmon smolts was evaluated. Control groups were treated with either vaccine alone, amoxycillin alone or were untreated. Moderate stress, simulating smolt transfer with a 5°C temperature rise, resulted in a rapid outbreak in mortalities reaching 100% in the vaccinates. Losses among the untreated controls were more gradual and rose to about 50%. Both amoxycillin‐treated groups survived well. Further severe stress resulted in total mortalities among the untreated fish but no further losses in the amoxycillin groups. Four months after vaccination, evidence of a specific immune response was confirmed by ELISA, demonstrating circulating antibodies in the blood of vaccinates. In a severe and in a moderate challenge with A. salmonicida. , the relative specific protection was 63 and 86%, respectively. Thus, effective protection against furunculosis was achieved without jeopardizing the stock during the vaccination process and with elimination of the carrier state.