Development of an Evaluation Model for the Efficacy of Immersion-type Vibrio Vaccines
Chia-Chia Chang
Abstract
In addition to conventional injectable vaccines, such as intramuscular or intraperitoneal injections, various immersion and oral vaccine formulations have been developed for aquaculture purposes. Injectable vaccines typically elicit strong immune responses and provide effective protection, but they are characterized by inconvenience and labor intensity, factors that often diminish farmers’ adoption rates. In contrast, immersion and oral vaccines offer greater convenience, enabling the simultaneous immunization of a large number of fish, thereby making them the current trend in fish vaccine development.
This study introduces a commercially available immersion-type Vibrio vaccine from Japan and assesses its application in the cultivation of domestic rainbow trout. The primary objective is to establish a methodology for evaluating the efficacy of immersion vaccines, aiming to serve as a reference for the development of standardized protocols for evaluating the efficacy of domestically developed immersion vaccines.
Disease surveillance and cause-of-death analysis in protected wildlife
Yang-Chang, Tu
Animal Disease Diagnosis Division
Abstract
The present study provides an overview on the cause of death and potential diseases occurring in 181 free-ranging protected wildlife, submitted for necropsy during 2020 to 2022. The animals, included 88 Formosan pangolins (Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla), 80 leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis chinensis), 9 Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra chinensis), and 4 Formosan black bears (Ursus thibetanus formosanus), died after intensive treatment or by roadkill. The carcasses were necropsied and sampled for histopathology and molecular analysis. In the results of molecular analysis for viral diseases, carnivore protoparvovirus 1 was detected in 9 Formosan pangolins (9/88) and 27 leopard cats (27/80). All the collected animals were tested negative for coronavirus and canine distemper virus. In histopathology analysis, pneumonia (87%; 67/77) was the most common finding in pangolins. The main cause of death was associated with motor vehicle accidents and animal attack, in leopard cats accounting for 72.5% (58/80) and in Eurasian otters accounting for 88.9% (8/9). The death of Formosan black bears (3/4) was mainly related to the consequence of snare trap (boar sling) and illegal hunting. The implemented wildlife disease surveillance can not only serve as a frontline for emerging zoonotic diseases, but also contribute to wildlife conservation medicine.
Study in the U.S. on “Molecular Approach to Antimicrobial Resistance”
Nan-Ling Kuan
Abstract
This training program, hosted by the National Poultry Research Center's Poultry Microbiological Safety and Processing Research Unit, located in Athens, Georgia, ARS-USDA, from March 23th to April 1st, 2024, involved in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research and monitoring. The program aims to upgrade the knowledge and skills to apply whole-genome sequencing (WGS) technology in the analysis of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, and learn how to establish related analytical systems and laboratory databases to enhance research and monitoring of AMR. The program includes activities such as refining next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, using commercial bioinformatics software and databases, and open-source software under Linux to build analytical programs for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. A total of 59 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from clinical cases were analyzed for: multilocus sequence typing (MLST), single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), genetic and phylogenetic differences between strains, and AMR genes, using the techniques from this study. The knowledge and skills gained from this training will enhance the laboratory's ability to study and monitor AMR, understand the mechanism and trend of AMR, and provide early warnings of possible AMR crises.