Required dose of fish nervous necrosis virus (NNV) for Poly(I:C) immunization of sevenband grouper Epinephelus septemfasciatus

It was recently reported that Poly(I:C) immunization of fish confers protection against viral infection. In this process, fish are immunized with a live pathogenic virus followed by administration of Poly(I:C), which induces a transient, non-specific antiviral state. As a result, fish survive the initial immunization with live virus, which would otherwise be lethal. In the present study, we tried to determine the exact dosage of red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV), the causative agent of viral nervous necrosis, required for Poly(I:C) immunization of sevenband grouper Epinephelus septemfasciatus. In Poly(I:C) immunization with more than 90% relative percentage survival (RPS) against RGNNV challenge with 104.3 TCID50/fish, approximately 104.0 TCID50/fish or greater of RGNNV was administered by intramuscular (IM) injection, whereas 105.3 TCID50/fish or greater of RGNNV was required for immersion methods. It was concluded that the degree of RGNNV infection must be similar to a fatal dose in order for the fish to become immune to RGNNV. Interestingly, antibody against RGNNV was not detected in the sera of fish immunized by immersion. Thus, Poly(I:C) immunization by immersion may have some interesting effects on the epidermal immune response in fish.