title: Growth and performance of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., following administration of a rhabdovirus DNA vaccine alone or concurrently with an oil-adjuvanted, polyvalent vaccine.
abstract: This research demonstrates for the first time an absence of growth-related side effects in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., following the injection of a DNA vaccine alone or concurrently with a commercially available, polyvalent, oil-adjuvanted vaccine. Using weight and specific growth rate measurements, individually tagged Atlantic salmon were monitored for 2028 degree days (dd) post-vaccination. During this time, DNA-vaccinated fish did not differ in weight, length, condition factor or specific growth rate compared to unvaccinated control fish. While differences in weight were observed between unvaccinated control and concurrently vaccinated fish, there were no significant differences in weight, length, condition factor or specific growth rate between concurrently vaccinated fish and adjuvant-vaccinated fish, suggesting that only adjuvant vaccination affected growth. To further determine if concurrent injection of a DNA vaccine and a polyvalent, oil-adjuvanted vaccine had a physiological impact on the Atlantic salmon, swimming performance tests were performed at 106 dd post-vaccination with U(crit,1), U(crit,2), the U(crit) recovery ratio (RR) and the normalized RR being similar to values obtained from unvaccinated control fish. In summary, this study shows that concurrent injection of a DNA vaccine and a polyvalent, oil-adjuvanted vaccine does not negatively influence the growth or swimming performance of Atlantic salmon compared to adjuvant vaccination alone.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. skinner@zoology.ubc.ca
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: LaPatra
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Balfry
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: McKinley
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D009821:Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D012209:Rhabdoviridae; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D020317:Salmo salar / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D009821:Oils; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D014765:Viral Vaccines