Passive transfer of protective immunity against ichthyophthiriasis from vaccinated mother to fry in tilapias, Oreochromis aureus

Tilapias, Oreochromis aureus, were vaccinated twice with live tomites of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in physiological saline 1 month before spawning (test group). A control group was similarly treated but with physiological saline only. Fertilized eggs were collected from the mouths of both groups and incubated until the young reached the free-swimming stage. Free-swimming fry were also collected immediately after they were expelled from the mother's mouth in other fish of the two groups. The fry were exposed to infective tomites of I. multifiliis and thereafter returned to their holding tanks. All fry obtained from the controls without mouth-brooding died after tomite exposure. However, fry with mouth-brooding before tomite exposure showed 37.3% survival. On the other hand, fry obtained from vaccinated broodstock without mouth-brooding exhibited 78.4% survival which increased to 95.3% with mouth-brooding. The protective immunity is correlated with the titres of anti-I. multifiliis antibodies in the soluble extracts of fry tissues and the mother's plasma. The results clearly indicate that protective immunity against ichthyophthiriasis “ich” in tilapia fry can not only be derived directly from the mother via eggs but also be acquired indirectly from the mouth cavity during the brooding period. The results thus suggest that proper vaccination of mothers before spawning would effectively protect fry against a protozoan disease.