Efficacy testing novel AGD vaccines

Amoebic gill disease (AGD) is a major disease threat that has had high economic impact in the Scottish Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry, having emerged as an escalating problem in recent years. The aetiological agent is the amoeba Paramoeba perurans. Currently control measures are restricted to treating sea cages with fresh water or hydrogen peroxide. This approach is expensive and logistically difficult and can have detrimental impacts on fish health and welfare. Novel experimental vaccines have recently been developed to prevent AGD on an Innovate UK project between University of Stirling and Ridgway Biologicals Ltd (RWB). The Innovate project has now finished and RWB have agreed to continue the work and fund the vaccine efficacy testing. The aim is therefore to test the efficacy of recently developed autogenous vaccines against AGD in Atlantic salmon.