ANTIGEN PRODUCTION & TROUT IMMUNIZATION AGAINST INFECTIOUS HEMATOPOIETIC NECROSIS VIRUS

IMMUNIZATION IS THE ONLY PRACTICAL CONTROL FOR HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE INFECTIOUS HEMATOPOIETIC NECROSIS (IHN) VIRUS INFECTIONS OF TROUT AND SALMON. IHN VIRUS GROWN IN CELL CULTURE EITHER GIVES TOO LITTLE ANTIGEN OR THE MATERIAL IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY ANTIGENIC FOR USE AS A KILLED-VACCINE. BUTVIRUS REPLICATION AND SHEDDING DURING EPIZOOTICS PRODUCE HIGH LEVELS OF NATURAL INFECTIVITY AND, PERHAPS, A FORM HAVING GREATER IMMUNOGENICITY. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO HARVEST WATERBORNE INFECTIVITY, CONCENTRATE AND TREAT IT, AND TEST RESULTING PREPARATIONS FOR CONFERRING IMMUNITY. THE APPROACH IS TO INDUCE IHN EPIZOOTICS IN TROUT POPULATIONS, PASS EFFLUENTS THROUGH ADSORPTION MEDIA, DISSOCIATE CONCENTRATED MATERIAL , KILL OR MODIFY THE VIRUS,CONTACT TROUT POSTLARVAE WITH THE KILLED PREPARATIONS AS SUCCESSFULLY DONE WITH BACTERIN VACCINES, AND EVALUATE POTENTIAL IMMUNIZATION. IF REASONABLE PROTECTION IS CONFERRED, THE PROCESSES ARE TO BE OPTIMIZED AND USED FOR VACCINE COMMERCIALIZATION.