Studies on the antibody response and side effects after intramuscular and intraperitoneal injection of Atlantic lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) with different oil-based vaccines.

Atlantic lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) is used as a biological delousing agent for sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis K.) infestations in Norwegian aquaculture. Here, we present a study on the antibody response and vaccine side effects after intramuscular and intraperitoneal injection of lumpfish with two vaccines. Both vaccines contained bacterial antigens from atypical Aeromonas salmonicida A-layer types V and VI, Vibrio anguillarum serotype O1 and Moritella viscosa sp., but one vaccine contained a vegetable oil-based adjuvant, while the other contained a mineral oil-based adjuvant. Intramuscular injection of the mineral oil-based vaccine caused a high acute mortality of fish within 48 hr after immunization. Intraperitoneal injection of the mineral oil-based vaccine resulted in a lower severity of intra-abdominal side effects than the vegetable oil-based vaccine. Intramuscular injection of the mineral oil-based vaccine resulted in a significantly higher antibody response against A. salmonicida when compared to controls and the vegetable oil-based vaccine group. The antibody response was poor against V. anguillarum and M. viscosa for all groups. Our results indicate that intramuscular injection of oil-based vaccines might be feasible for providing immunological protection for Atlantic lumpfish against bacterial diseases, especially atypical A. salmonicida, but more work is required to identity optimal adjuvants.

Virus-like particles associated with heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI).

The first cases of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI), in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were registered in 1999 in the Hitra/Frøya area of Norway. The disease has since spread south to Rogaland, i.e. the southernmost county with salmon farming in Norway. The disease outbreaks usually start 5 to 9 mo after release into seawater but may occur as early as 2 wk after sea release. The present study focuses on possible pathogens associated with HSMI. It was not possible to find any parasites or bacteria that could explain HSMI, and none of the well-known viruses (infectious salmon anaemia virus, Norwegian salmonid alphavirus, infectious pancreatic necrosis virus, Atlantic salmonid paramyxovirus) were consistently present. Use of transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of epitheliocystis agent in 3 of 4 farms included in this study, and several virus-like particles. Type I and Type II virus particles, previously described for salmon suffering from haemorrhagic smolt syndrome (HSS), and erythrocytic inclusion body syndrome (EIBS) virus were consistently present in salmon suffering from HSMI in all 4 farms included in this study. The 2 HSS viruses (Type I and Type II) were also cultured in Atlantic salmon kidney (ASK) cells from salmon suffering from HSMI. However, a causal relationship between the observed virus particles and HSMI remains to be demonstrated.

Emergence and maintenance of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) in Europe: a new hypothesis.

The present study describes the use of molecular methods in studying infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV), an important pathogen of farmed salmon in Norway, Scotland, the Faeroe Islands, Canada, USA and Chile. The nucleotide sequences of the haemagglutinin gene (HA) from 70 ISAV isolates have been analysed for phylogenetic relationship and the average mutation rate of nucleotide substitutions calculated. The isolates constitute 2 major groups, 1 European and 1 North American group. The isolate from Chile is closely related to the North American isolates. The European isolates can be further divided into 3 separate groups reflecting geographical distribution, time of collection, and transmission connected with farming activity. Based on existing information about infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) and new information emerging from the present study, it is hypothesised that: (1) ISAV is maintained in wild populations of trout and salmon in Europe; (2) it is transmitted between wild hosts mainly during their freshwater spawning phase in rivers; (3) wild salmonids, mainly trout, possibly carry benign wild-type ISAV isolates; (4) a change (mutation) in virulence probably results from deletions of amino acid segments from the highly polymorphic region (HPR) of benign wild-type isolates; (5) ISA emerges in farmed Atlantic salmon when mutated isolates are transmitted from wild salmonids or, following mutation of benign isolates, in farmed salmon after transmission from wild salmonids; (6) farming activity is an important factor in transmission of ISAV between farming sites in addition to transmission of ISAV from wild salmonids to farmed salmon; (7) transmission of ISAV from farmed to wild salmonids probably occurs less frequently than transmission from wild to farmed fish due to lower frequency of susceptible wild individuals; (8) the frequency of new outbreaks of ISA in farmed salmon probably reflects natural variation in the prevalence of ISAV in wild populations of salmonids.