July 14, 2010
Diagnotec to invest in R&D of salmon antivirals and vaccines
In order to accompany the new stage which will span the Chilean salmon industry following the deep crisis caused by the infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) virus in 2007, companies have started investing in and producing antivirals and vaccines to ensure the health of the sector.
Diagnotec veterinary laboratories, a subsidiary of the business Andromaco and CENTROVET, have invested around US$12 million in research and development (R&D) for antivirals and vaccines against the ISA virus.
According to the directors of both companies, the emergence of the pathogen will oblige them to provide the vaccine to 100% of specimens of Atlantic salmon that are in water.
According to the Diagnotec general manager, Geraldine Mlynarz, although the antiviral which they developed is currently being registered with the Agriculture and Livestock Service, they are expecting to launch and market it in the short term.
"We have salmon fishermen waiting to purchase the antiviral," said Mlynarz.
He stressed that unlike vaccines, this product can be applied to both healthy and diseased salmon and will be the first to be used against the ISA virus copies.
Diagnotec invested about US$5 million and CENTROVET devoted US$7 million.
CENTROVET offers two variables of the vaccination, one an injection-method and the other an oral-insertion. By 2010, they plan to sell roughly 15 billion doses, 300% more than in 2009 when five million units were sold.
The company's general manager, David Farcas, recalled that last year they also launched an oral vaccine for salmon suffering from rickettsial syndrome (SRS). This disease affects all three species, the Atlantic salmon, Pacific salmon and rainbow trout.
"The SRS causes losses of at least US$300 million, and in many cases, we have had at least a 30% reduction," said the executive of CENTROVET.
According to Farcas, through the application of this vaccine, the firms affected by the syndrome have reduced the mortality of their specimens by a value of US$40 million.
Meanwhile, the president for the Association of the Chilean Salmon Industry AG (SalmonChile), Cesar Barros, ensures that there is an agreement among the members of the salmon industry over the sector's recovery.
Numerous industry experts estimate that the sector will recover in about five years' time.
"There is one view of relative unity on the industry, but at the same time, it depends on the speed with which they created each company, as there are some that will come out faster than others," said Barros.
