Vaccinating catfish before they hatch!

Agricultural Research, July, 2007

Each year, U.S. catfish producers have to absorb an estimated $50-70 million in losses from waterborne diseases such as enteric septicemia and columnaris. To help keep catfish healthy, researchers invented vaccines for immunizing this valuable food fish against the two diseases. After studying the best way to administer them, they concluded that these vaccines can be given simultaneously--24 to 48 hours before hatching--during what's called the "eyed-egg" stage of development. Current practice is to vaccinate newly hatched catfish, about 10 days old, while aboard the trucks that'll deliver them to farm ponds for release.

It takes workers just 10 to 15 minutes to treat the not-quite-hatched eggs with the two vaccines. And tests have shown that vaccinating catfish at this eyed-egg stage could provide immunity lasting at least 140 days.

The patented vaccines have been licensed to Intervet International, of Boxmeer, The Netherlands, and are commercially available in the United States. Phillip H. Klesius and Craig A. Shoemaker, USDA-ARS Aquatic Animal Health Research Unit, Auburn, Alabama; phone (334) 887-3741, e-mail pklesius@msastoneville.ars.usda.gov, cshoemaker@ msa-stoneville.ars.usda.gov.