Advances in the control of Microsporidial Gill Disease of Salmon

Project Loma is a multidisciplinary collaborative research programme aimed to develop the treatment and control of the microsporidian parasite Loma salmonae which is the cause of Microsporidial Gill Disease of Salmon (MGDS). Recent studies have shown that the principal host target, salmonids within the genus Oncorhynchus, produce an effective cell-mediated immune response against the parasite which means that vaccination is likely to become a feasible and important control option. Treatment options are limited once the parasite has established within the host, specifically, when the parasite lives within host cells and evades host detection. Preliminary studies assessing a cationic ionophore as a novel treatment modality have shown remarkable effectiveness, but only when the treatment is initiated during the very early stages of the disease..