Vaccination influences growth of Arctic charr

There is limited knowledge about the effects of oil-based vaccines on the growth of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus, in particular at different rearing temperatures. One-year-old Arctic charr were immunized intraperitoneally at 2.9 degrees C with a metabolizable oil-adjuvanted, bivalent vaccine containing killed typical and atypical Aeromonas salmonicida bacteria. After vaccination the non-vaccinated (controls) and vaccinated individually marked fish were held for 20 d at 10.0 degrees C and then for 7 wk at 10.3, 14.1 or 18.1 degrees C. During the first 20 d at 10.0 degrees C the growth rate (G) was higher for non-vaccinated than vaccinated fish. Thereafter vaccinated charr had higher G than control fish at 10.3 and 14.1 degrees C. In contrast, at 18.1 degrees C there was no difference in G and therefore no compensation of earlier growth suppression in vaccinated fish was observed at that temperature. The study indicates that vaccination has no ultimate negative effects on the growth of Arctic charr at temperatures ranging from 10.3 to 14.1 degrees C.