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Re: Ich

Barry wrote:
>>. It relates to immunity to and vaccination against Ich.

In layman's terms (I hope), it seems to me that the research has identified the protein molecule(s) that the fish's immune system binds to as it fights off an ich infection.  This is the first stage in developing a vacine, which would introduce the same or similar molecule to the fish in a non-leathal dose to allow the fish to naturally build up antibodies.

1. Is that correct?

2. How would the vacine be delivered?  Within the DNA of a harmless bacteria?

3. The article mentions that the imune system binding doesn't kill the ich, just forces it to leave the body.  That would mean that the parasite would still be viable within the tank, correct?  So traditional methods of treatment, increasing temperature and chemicals, which are designed to kill the organism at different stages in it's lifecycle, would still be necessary to control the possibility of infection from within one's fishroom. Right?  Otherwise non-vacinated fish, such as fry, may become hosts.

Thanks for the interesting piece of information.

Bill Vannerson
McHenry, IL
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/william_vannerson

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