New salmon vaccine approved

The new vaccine is AQUAVAC® S7, a heptavalent (protecting against seven distinct strains of pathogen), oil-based vaccine for farmed Atlantic salmon in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is produced by MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co.

 

It is intended for use in the active immunisation of Atlantic salmon to reduce mortality caused by infections with Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida (furunculosis), Aliivibrio salmonicida (cold-water vibriosis), Vibrio anguillarum serotype O1 and O2a (vibriosis), Moritella viscosa (winter ulcer disease), Yersinia ruckeri (yersiniosis) and  IPNV.

 

The vaccine offers a rapid onset of immunity by 469 degree days (dd) for M. viscosa, 500 dd for all other bacterial components, and 517 dd for IPNV (“degree days” refers to a measure of temperature exposure over time, calculated by multiplying the number of degrees above or below a certain threshold by the number of days at that temperature). The duration of immunity for IPNV is seven months and 12 months for the bacterial components.

 

AQUAVAC S7 is comprised of inactivated whole cell antigens of A. salmonicida, Aliivibrio salmonicida, V. anguillarum serovar O1 and O2a, M. viscosa CC1, Y. ruckeri serotype O1 (Hagerman), and IPNV, in a total dose volume of 0.05 ml. The vaccine is manufactured without serum components, which MSD says provides an innovation to farmers that enhances fish welfare and safety as demonstrated in safety studies.

 

“This vaccine is innovative not only in how it works, but in how it can be used. As it includes Yersinia ruckeri, this serum-free vaccine represents a good combination for customers who want to protect against yersiniosis,” said Dafydd Morris, Executive Director, Aqua Lead – EURAM, MSD Animal Health. 

 

The vaccine is the first aqua product to be registered by MSD Animal Health after its acquisition of Elanco’s aquaculture veterinary business.

 

Morris added that this showed the long term commitment of the company to aquaculture.

 

Rodrigo Belmonte, R&D Director, MSD Animal Health, said: “AQUAVAC S7 is an important scientific step forward for fish health as it is our first heptavalent fish vaccine formulated serum-free. By improving immunity and reducing disease pressure, this vaccine supports stronger fish welfare and gives farmers a reliable way to reduce losses and improve productivity.”