Nanogram quantities of a DNA vaccine protect rainbow trout fry against heterologous strains of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus

The efficacy of a DNA vaccine containing the glycoprotein gene of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), a rhabdovirus affecting trout and salmon, was investigated. The minimal dose of vaccine required, the protection against heterologous strains, and the titers of neutralizing antibodies produced were used to evaluate the potential of the vaccine as a control pharmaceutical. Results indicated that a single dose of as little as 1–10 ng of vaccine protected rainbow trout fry against waterborne challenge by IHNV. An optimal dose of 100 ng per fish was selected to assure strong protection under various conditions. Neutralizing antibody titers were detected in fish vaccinated with concentrations of DNA ranging from 5 to 0.01 μg. Furthermore, the DNA vaccine protected fish against a broad range of viral strains from different geographic locations, including isolates from France and Japan, suggesting that the vaccine could be used worldwide. A single dose of this DNA vaccine induced protection in fish at a lower dose than is usually reported in mammalian DNA vaccine studies.