Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience: Catfish Producers Extension Specialists Aquatic animal health scientists Aquatic animal health companies Aquaculture students Aquaculture association attendees (researchers, students, industry members) General agricultural public Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One Master of Science graduate student completed the pond vaccination study and graduated with her degree in May of 2020 from Auburn University's School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences. She was able to attend the Aquaculture America 2020 Conference in February to present the pond trial research and network with the industry. This student was able to work with researchers at the USDA-ARS Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory in Auburn, AL in order to complete data analysis (ELISA). She now has research experience, including laboratory and field, and skills in data analysis, presentation, and journal article writing experience. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Specific results of the pond trial (Experiment 5) have been presented through an oral presentation and poster presentation at Aquaculture America 2020 to industry members, researchers, and students during a catfish session at the conference. Results have been presented in an article released by the Alabama Fish Farming Center (Greensboro, AL) in an electronic extension newsletter (Fish Farming News, 2020) that catfish farmers in Alabama and Mississippi receive. The MSc student has also specifically presented results during an exit seminar to members of the AU School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences department and a journal article has been written and submitted to an aquaculture journal. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The project ended August 30, 2020. However, we will continue with the journal article (submitted) documenting th Experiment 5 research results.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
SPECIFI AIM 2: Field studies using columnaris 17-23 vaccinated and unvaccinated channel catfish reared in earthen ponds to test the efficacy of the COL vaccine on production, growth, and survival (mimicking commercial catfish pond setting). Experiment 5- We conducted pond trial study to test the field efficacy of the vaccine on the channel catfish in experimental ponds at the E.W. Shell Fisheries Station, Auburn Alabama, that mimic commercial production conditions. We included two treatments (5 replicates per treatment) of vaccinated (by immersion) and unvaccinated fish. Channel catfish fingerlings, averaging 6 inches, were stocked in ten 0.4-acre earthen ponds at a rate of 800 fingerlings per pond. The study began in April 2019 and fish were harvested in October 2019. Production data was collected throughout the study, with mortalities recorded twice daily, and individual growth calculated once monthly on 30 individuals per pond. Each individual's weight and length were recorded in order to calculate average weights per pond at each sampling event. Thirty and ninety days after stocking, blood samples were taken from 10 fish from each pond. The blood serum samples were analyzed using an ELISA test to measure individual monoclonal antibody response to the Flavobacterium columnare pathogen. Harvest of all ponds occurred in October 2019, with all ponds drained and each individual fish removed and weighed per pond. Total harvest weight (yield) and survival were recorded for each pond. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in survival between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated fish, however, it should be noted that no acute fish kill occurred at any point during the trials, so the effect of vaccine on survival could not be evaluated. Vaccinated ponds were fed significantly less feed than the control ponds, but harvested significantly more weight than the control ponds. From this information, we calculated that the control (non-vaccinated) ponds had an average feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 2.12, while the vaccinated ponds had an average FCR of 1.3, a 37% improvement over the control group. Feed conversion efficiency improved in the vaccinated catfish treatment. SPECIFI AIM 3: Economic analysis of vaccine use across a variety of industry type settings. Experiment 5- Results from SPECIFIC AIM 2 were used to prepare catfish enterprise budgets that were used to analyze the economic impact of the vaccine. The total benefit of the vaccine was due to additional revenue from increased harvest weight from vaccinated fish, plus the reduced costs from feeding less feed to the vaccinated fish (compared to control fish). Total costs were a result of vaccination cost, harvest and transport of additional fish weight, and operating loan interest for these additional costs. By subtracting additional costs from additional benefits, there was a positive net return of ($1,509/ha) indicating that the use of vaccinated fingerlings to produce food size catfish would benefit the producer. Using the same method, an extrapolated partial budget (to fit a commercial size farm) could still expect a positive net return. However, it is important to remember that this trial did not experience a significant difference in survival between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated fish, so the economic analysis also displays expected vaccine impact without significant differences in survival.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Malecki, J.K., T.R. Hanson, C.R. Arias, N.T. Truong. 2020. Bioeconomics of Flavobacterium columnare Vaccine Pond Trials for Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Abstract printed in the Book of Abstracts of Aquaculture 2020, February 9-12, Honolulu, HI, p. 416. https://wasblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/meeting-abstracts/AA2020AbstractBook.pdf
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Malecki, J.K., T.R. Hanson, C.R. Arias, N.T. Truong. 2020. Assessment of a Flavobacterium columnare vaccine through pond trials and identification of vaccine adoption factors in the US catfish industry. Abstract printed in the Book of Abstracts of Aquaculture 2020, February 9-12, Honolulu, HI, p. 417. https://wasblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/meeting-abstracts/AA2020AbstractBook.pdf
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Malecki, J., T. Hanson, L. Roy, and B. Beck. March 31,2020. Bioeconomic Analysis of Flavobacterium columnare Vaccine Pond Trials for Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Fish Farming News, 2020(1):17-19. http://sfaas.auburn.edu/affc/wp-content/uploads/sites/274/2020/04/AFFC-Spring-2020-Newsletter.pdf
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Malecki, Jillian. 2020. Masters of Science. (Terry Hanson, Chair; Committee members Luke Roy, Ben Beck). Fall 2018 2020, graduated May 2020 in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Bioeconomics of Flavobacterium columnare Vaccine Pond Trials for Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus. https://etd.auburn.edu/handle/10415/7181
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Malecki, J.K., L.A. Roy, C.R. Arias, B.H. Beck, N.T. Truong and T.R. Hanson. In Review. Bioeconomics of Flavobacterium columnare Vaccine Pond Trials with Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Malecki, J.K., T.R. Hanson, C.R. Arias, N.T. Truong. 2020. Bioeconomics of Flavobacterium columnare Vaccine Pond Trials for Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Poster presented at the Aquaculture America 2020 conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, February 9-12.
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Catfish farmers Extension specialists USDA-ARS researchers Aquatic animal health scientists Animal Health companies General public Changes/Problems:Dr. Cova Arias, the PI of this project, died during this reporting period and is a major setback for this research project and for fish health progress around the world. However, we will complete the two on-going studies in the next year as planned. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One graduate student (Ph.D.) has been working on this project for one year now. He has been trained on vaccine preparation and delivery as well as fish husbandry and general microbiology. A second graduate student (MS) has been working on this project for one year now. She is new to aquaculture so her first year has involved working on the pond trial project while taking graduate level courses at Auburn University's School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Science. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project goals and objectives have been discussed with catfish farmers at the Annual Catfish Update meeting held in Demopolis Alabama and with the industry at large (including vaccine companies). Specific results have not been discussed outside our group yet since there are considered still preliminary results. We participated and presented at a special vaccinology session at the 2018 World Aquaculture Society meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Specific Aim 1: Vaccine optimization. We will complete our line of experiments comparing different delivery methods (including oral vaccination) and continue to optimize the concentration of the vaccine and duration of exposure. Specific Aim 2: We will complete the pond field study trials using vaccinated and unvaccinated channel catfish reared in earthen ponds. These trials used the most optimized vaccine formula/delivery mechanism. Vaccinated and unvaccinated catfish be monitored throughout the growing cycle. Appropriate survival, growth and production data will be analyzed by treatment and compared for significant differences. Specific Aim 3: Farm management analyses will be used with collected pond field study trial results to develop enterprise budgets. These will document production input costs and quantity of surviving fish (for sales revenue) for vaccinated and unvaccinated fish.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
SPECIFI AIM 1: Improving vaccine efficacy by optimizing its formulation and delivery 1. Oral delivery of columnaris vaccine (17-23) Experiment 1 - We tested the survival of Flavobacterium columnare under different pH levels (pH=1-8), using chitin flakes in Modified Shieh broth to allow the bacterium to form the biofilm as a reservoir for the bacterium. Unfortunately, in vitro study in 500 ml flasks showed that the vaccine showed no viability at pH 1-6. Meanwhile, the vaccine favorably grew on chitin flakes at pH=7-8. Survival of F. columnare (virulent train [BGS27] + avirulent [17-23]) across pH 1.0-8.0 Relevant to oral delivery of vaccine (testing pH in stomach, survivorship) March 2019; 3 days CASIC, 500 ml flasks All isolates died in low pH (no growth and death) All survived at pH 7.0-8.0 Experiment 2 - We conducted a second in vitro study to test viability of vaccine on chitin flakes (as biofilm) when incorporating the chitin flakes with the pelleted feed in low pH levels. Results showed that the vaccine exhibited very low viability at pH<6. Chitin growth media efficacy in forming biofilm (both strains of F. columnare) Wanted to incorporate chitin into the fish feed, as medium for vaccine April 2019; 3-4 days CASIC, 500 ml flasks Chitin inoculated by F. columnare mixed into feed formulation Chitin not a good substratum for F. columnare to form biofilm Experiment 3 - We conducted the oral delivery of columnaris vaccine on zebrafish in 37-L aquaria. We purchased the zebrafish from a commercial producer in Florida. We assigned the study in 6 treatments, including immersion, immersion with high hardness, sham vaccination, oral vaccination (5 days of feeding the feed coated with vaccine), mucosal vaccination (spray administration), and system control. Fish were refractive to columnaris disease since zebrafish in other treatments showed lower survivals than those in the control (sham vaccination). Zebrafish, oral delivery of F. columnare vaccine Fish from commercial producer in FL March 2019; 6 weeks CASIC, aquaria 10 gall Fish refractive to columnaris disease Experiment 4 - We repeated Experiment 3 on 30-day old channel catfish fry. Again, protection to columnaris disease was significantly higher in fish vaccinated by immersion and immersion with high hardness (74.83 and 79.56%, respectively) when compared to the control treatment (93.56%). Meanwhile, fish vaccinated by oral delivery (92.80%) and mucosal vaccination (91.24%) were not significantly different in protection from the control treatment. Channel catfish, oral delivery of F. columnare vaccine Fish from commercial producer in FL Aug 2019 through Sep 2019; 6 weeks AU North Station, aquaria 10 gall Results TBD SPECIFI AIM 2: Field studies using vaccinated and unvaccinated channel catfish reared in earthen ponds. Experiment 5 - We conducted pond trial study to test the field efficacy of the vaccine on the channel catfish in experimental ponds at the E.W. Shell Fisheries Station, Auburn Alabama, that mimic commercial production conditions. We included 2 treatments (5 replicates each) of vaccinated and unvaccinated fish. Channel catfish fingerlings, averaging 6 inches, were stocked in 0.4-acre earthen ponds. The study began in April 2019 and will be harvested in October 2019. Data on production, growth, and survival are being collected on a monthly sampling basis. Monthly samplings of 30 fish from each pond has occurred. Fish were weighed and their length measured. Average fish weights were calculated for each pond at each sample date. Thirty and ninety days after stocking, blood samples were taken from 10 fish from each pond. The blood will be analyzed using an ELISA test, which will measure for Columnaris antibodies. We are hoping to see a difference in survival between the two treatments and possibly an increase in growth from the vaccinated catfish. Bio-economics of columnaris vaccine 2 treatments (vaccinated by immersion, non-vaccinated) Test efficacy of vaccine on production, growth, survival (mimic commercial setting, process) 10 ponds, 800 fish per pond (channel catfish, 6") April 2019 through Oct 2019 AU North Station, in-pond study Status: data being collected SPECIFI AIM 3: Economic analysis of vaccine use across a variety of industry type settings. As Specific Aim 2's Experiment 5 is completed, we will have the production inputs, survival and growth rates by vaccinated and unvaccinated treatment. This will allow us to develop full enterprise budgets on each treatment.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Cai, W., De LaFuente, L., and C. R. Arias. 2019. Transcriptome analysis of the fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare in biofilm suggests calcium role in pathogenesis. BMC Microbiology, 19:151 (2019).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Cai, W., and C. R. Arias. 2019. Draft genome sequences of Flavobacterium columnare ARS1 and BGFS27 strains, isolated from channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Microbiology Resources Announcements 8:e00648-19.https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00648-19.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Declercq, A. M., W. Cai, E. Naranjo, W. Thongda, V. Eeckhaut, E. Bauwens, C. R. Arias, L. De La Fuente, B. Beck, M. D. Lange, E. Peatman, F. Haesebrouck, J. Aerts, A. Decostere. 2019. A first proof that the stress hormone cortisol regulates biofilm formation in Flavobacterium columnare. Veterinary Research 50:24. doi.org/10.1186/s13567-019-0641-3
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Porterfield, A. D., H. Mohammed, W. Cai, S. LaFrentz, A. Aceves, and C. R. Arias. Refining the delivery methods of a live attenuated vaccine against columnaris disease in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Aquaculture 2019. March 7-11, 2019. New Orleans, LA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Arias, C.R. and T.R. Hanson. Bioeconomics of Columnaris Disease in Catfish Aquaculture. 8th Annual Catfish Update Meeting, December 4, 2018. Demopolis, Alabama.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Cai, W and C.R. Arias. Unveiling the genetic diversity behind the species complex Flavobacterium columnare. 8th International Symposium for Aquatic Animal Health, September 2-6, 2018. Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Catfish farmers Extension specialists USDA-ARS researchers Aquatic animal health scientists Animal Health companies General public Changes/Problems:We are in the process of requesting a no-cost extension on the grant. It was difficult to find the graduate students needed for the project and we just recruited the second student. In addition, by the time the grant was funded and the IACUC was in place, it was too late to start the lab experiments with catfish due to their size and the limiations of our systems. We expect to have ~6-9 months delay but completing our goals should not be a problem if the no costs extension is granted. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One graduate student (MS) has been working on this project for a year now. He has been trained on vaccine preparation and delivery as well as fish hubandry and general microbiology. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project goals and objectives have been discussed wtih catfish farmers at annual meetings and with the industry at large (including vaccine companies). Specific results have not been discussed outside our group yet since there are considered still preliminary results. We just submitted an abstract to the upcoming World Aquaculture Society meeting (March, 2019) and we have been invited to give a presentation at the special vaccinology sesion. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Specific Aim 1: Vaccine optimization. We will compare different delivery methods (including oral vaccination) and continue to optimize the concentration of the vaccine and duration of exposure. Specific Aim 2: Field studies using vaccinated and unvaccinated channel catfish reared in IPRS and earthen ponds.In summer 2019 we plan on taking the most optimized vaccine formula/delivery mechanism into the field. We will vaccinate fish with our vaccine and the existing commercial vaccine and will monitor those fish throughout a growing cycle. Specific Aim 3: Economic analyses of vaccine use across a variety of industry type settings.Farm management analyses will be used to develop enterprise budgets (financial management tools that predict costs and returns) that document itemized production input costs and quantity of surviving fish (for sales revenue) for vaccinated and unvaccinated fish.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Specific Aim 1: Vaccine optimization. We conducted a series of experiments to optimize our vaccine delivery, including a new oral delivery approach by gavage. Results from those experiments showed that the 17-23 provides ~50% increased survival in catfish. However, protection was only found in fish vaccinated by immersion. Fish vaccinated by gavage (orally) did not exhibit a relative percent survival different from unvaccinated fish. One possibility for this lack of response is that the vaccine doesn't survivethe passage through the fish stomach due to low pH. We conducted an in vitro study to evaluate the survival of Flavobacterium columnare under different pH. Cells survive in broth at pH of 5 or higher for at least 2 h but quickly lose viability (<30 min) at pH 4 and 2. Our next experiments will include coating feed with the vaccine to test if oral delivery remains a viable option for vaccination against columnaris disease. We run ELISA tests to measure the antibody response in vaccinated fish and, surprisingly, levels of IgM against F. columnare were not significantly correlated with vaccine dose. There were vaccinated fish that failed to elicit a specific immune response against the pathogen yet those groups presented significantly higher survivorship after exposure to a virulent strain of F. columnare.
Publications
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