Uptake of Vibrio anguillarum vaccine by Artemia salina as a potential oral delivery system to fish fry

Abstract An ELISA to detect Vibrio anguillarum antigen in Artemia salina was developed. This assay was then used to determine the time course of antigen uptake by Artemia during incubations with Vibrio vaccine with a view to using Artemia as a vaccine carrier for oral vaccination of fish fry. The rate of uptake of vaccine by Artemia was shown to be concentration dependent. At a dose of 1·5 × 10 7 cfu ml -1 , 1 mg wet weight of Artemia took up 1 × 10 5 cfu within 30 min and reached maximum of 6 × 10 6 cfu after 60 min. Thus each Artemia appears to have taken up approximately 1·2 × 10 5 cfu. Comparison of vaccine formulations indicated that uptake was consistently higher with formalised than with heat-treated vaccine.