The effect of dietary ascorbate, zinc, and manganese on the development of experimentally induced bacterial kidney disease in sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka)

Seven groups of juvenile sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka) were each reared on a different test diet to determine the influence of nutritional status on their resistance to experimentally induced bacterial kidney disease (BKD). Six test diets were formulated so that the prophylactic efficacy of two levels of vitamin C (supplied as Na L-ascorbate-2-sulfate) in combination with low levels of manganese (Mn) without zinc (Zn) and high levels of Mn with Zn supplement could be evaluated. The Oregon Moist Pellet diet served as a reference standard. Mortality curves were clearly distinct and mean survival times were significantly different (P