2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) The objective of the cooperative research to be conducted under this agreement is to test the efficacy of the AQUAVAC-COL vaccine when used to protect brook and brown trout against columnaris disease. The research will be conducted as a field trial at Setzer State Hatchery, Pisgah Forest, NC. AQUAVAC-COL is currently licensed for prevention of columnaris disease in catfish. This work will contribute new information about the efficacy of the vaccine when applied to other fish species. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) The ARS developed vaccine will be administered to brook and brown trout fry following the label instructions for catfish. Replicated groups of brook and brown trout fry will be vaccinated with AQUAVAC-COL or will be sham-vaccinated. After vaccination fish will be monitored throughout the production period. Mortality, growth, feed consumption, and disease outbreaks will be recorded. Vaccinated trout will be challenged by exposure to Flavobacterium columnare to determine whether the vaccine was protective. Relative proportion survival and the preventive fraction will be estimated. Survival curves and incidence will be compared between vaccinated and unvaccinated fish. 3.Progress Report This report serves to document research conducted under a Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement between ARS and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the in-house project 6420-32000-022-00D, "Aquatic Animal Diagnostics, Pathogenesis and Applied Epidemiology." Brook and brown trout fry were vaccinated by immersion with AQUAVAC-COL or were sham-vaccinated. Each treatment group consisted of three replicates. Average number of fish vaccinated per replicate was 36,300 and 17,400 for the brook trout and brown trout, respectively. Information on mortality, feed consumption, growth and disease is being collected. Project progress is monitored via site visits, email, and telephone calls.