Bath treatment of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) with amoebae antigens fails to affect survival to subsequent amoebic gill disease (AGD) challenge

• Main Authors: Morrison, RN, Nowak, BF
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: European Association of Fish Pathologists 2005
• Subjects: Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences; Fisheries Sciences; Aquaculture; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://ecite.utas.edu.au/36005

There is no consistent evidence of resistance of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to amoebic gill disease (AGD), despite either a prior history of AGD, passive immunisation or active immunisation. Here, fish were bathed in amoebae antigens from either an avirulent in vitro cultured strain or wild-type Neoparamoeba pemaquidensis and challenged with gill-derived amoebae 27 days post-treatment. Neither bath treatment enhanced survival compared to a placebo treated group of fish. Similarly treatment did not influence the proportion of AGD-affected gill filaments in fish surviving the AGD challenge. It is not known if the failure of the treatments to elicit protection was mediated by a lack of an immune response or if an immune response was ineffective during the AGD challenge.