Tetrahymena pyriformis as a protective antigen against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis infection: comparisons between isolates and ciliary preparations

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, were immunized with cilia from three isolates of Tetrahymena pyriformis and challenged with Ichthyophthirius multifiliis using a reproducible quantitative procedure. Two different methods of deciliation were used in antigen preparation. Results indicate that T. pyriformis cilia elicit an immune response in channel catfish against I. multifiliis, and that the protective ability of the cilia varies between T. pyriformis strains.