Immunological evaluation of Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio vulnificus and infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) combined-vaccine efficacy in Epinephelus coioides.

Combined vaccines are immunological products intended for immunization against multifactorial infectious diseases caused by different types or variants of pathogens. In this study, the effectiveness of Vibrio alginolyticus (Va), Vibrio harveyi (Vh), Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) and infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), an iridovirus, combined-vaccine (Vibrio and ISKNV combined vaccines, VICV), Va+Vh+Vv inactive vaccine (VIV) and ISKNV whole cell inactive vaccine (IWCIV) in Epinephelus coioides were evaluated using various immunological parameters including antibody titer, serum lysozyme activity (LA), respiratory burst (RB) activity, bactericidal activity (BA) and relative percentage survival (RPS). E. coioides immunized with VICV and challenged with Va+Vh+Vv+ISKNV had an RPS of 80%. The RPS was 73.3% in E. coioides immunized with VIV and challenged with Va+Vh+Vv. E. coioides immunized with IWCIV and challenged with ISKNV had an RPS of 69.6%. Serum LA in the vaccinated group was significantly higher than the control group on days 21 and 28 post-vaccination (P<0.01). The RB activity of head kidney cells in the vaccinated group was significantly higher (P<0.01) compared to that in the control group. However, RB activity of spleen cells in the vaccinated group and the control group were not significantly different (P>0.05). After immunization with VICV, BA values of blood leucocytes and head kidney cells increased significantly more than spleen cells. BA value of blood leucocytes was higher than that in head kidney cells. There were distinct difference between BA values in head kidney cells and in spleen cells (P<0.05) as well as between BA value of blood leucocytes and head kidney cells (P<0.01). E. coioides vaccinated with VICV have significantly higher antibody levels than control groupers (P<0.01). Our study suggests that the VICV candidate can effectively protect groupers against multiple bacterial and viral pathogens.