Location: Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research
Project Number: 8082-32000-006-004-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2014
End Date: Aug 31, 2019
Objective:
Aim 1: Develop a mathematical model to infer the impacts of host vaccination and selective breeding for disease resistance, on pathogen transmission and ecology in aquaculture.
Aim 2: Experimentally quantify single and multi-pathogen infection dynamics and transmission in vaccinated and selectively-bred disease-resistant hosts in vivo.
Aim 3: Characterize pathogen ecology and transmission in disease-resistant hosts at the host population level through large scale laboratory and field experiments.
Approach:
Our approach utilizes pedigree rainbow trout BCWD resistant and susceptible lines and we will measure both bacterial and viral shedding following experimental infection and farm infection. Anticipated outcomes from this research include: 1) model transmission parameters for two important rainbow trout diseases BCWD and IHNV, 2) experimentally determine transmission rates and infection parameters in vaccinated and selectively bred lines of rainbow trout, 3) determine population level transmission rates under laboratory and field conditions. Scientists and government agencies that manage farmed and wild fish stocks will benefit from the increased practical information on the effect of breeding and vaccination on disease transmission in aquaculture.
