Efficacy of different administration routes for vaccination against Vibrio anguillarum in Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.)

Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.) is a potentially important new species to cold-water aquaculture. Development of a viable industrial farming technique has been hampered by continued pathogen problems within the rearing cycle and there are several reports that indicated how susceptible juvenile halibut are to bacterial and viral diseases. Interest has been expressed, within the industry, over the possibility of vaccinating suitably sized animals to protect against the more common aquaculture pathogens. Vibrio spp. are of particular concern due to their ubiquitous nature and the relatively frequent occurrence of these pathogens within marine aquaculture. We have previously investigated the susceptibility of Atlantic halibut to infection by Vibrio anguillarum and the efficacy of intraperitoneal injected delivery of a commercial vaccine in protecting against the disease. Given the very high rate of protection offered by immunisation we wanted to investigate the effect of alternate routes of administration on the efficacy of the vaccine.