We all know the importance of preventative medicine, and many of us get in line for ‘flu shot’ vaccinations before the start of flu season. Vaccines can also be used to protect fish from disease.
Coldwater disease is a common bacterial infection in fish and it has been a persistent challenge for keeping Cutthroat Trout broodstock at the Cabinet Gorge Hatchery healthy. Not only do the brood fish periodically come down with coldwater disease (the bacteria can be found naturally in the water supply), once infected, they can pass the disease to other fish on station. To break the infection cycle, the Eagle Fish Health Laboratory has been developing a vaccine from bacterial isolates collected from the hatchery. The vaccine will be tested for the first time in late 2016 and it’s hoped that it will protect fish through spawning next year.
What happens after that? Again, think of your annual flu shot: each year, scientists develop a specialized designed vaccine to protect against the flu strains they expect in the coming season. It’s the same for the fish vaccine: bacteria from the hatchery are routinely cultured in the laboratory and can be used to develop vaccines for years to come.
So, think of Idaho’s Cutthroat Trout when you go for your next flu shot: some of them will be facing the needle just like you!
--Contributed by Roberta Scott