August 13, 2007

Chilean salmon farmers to cull ISA infected fish in four farms

Chile's National Fishing Service (SERNAPESCA) has instructed salmon farmers to kill fish found to be infected with the lethal and highly Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA).

The highly contagious virus was recently detected on several fish farms around Chiloe, Region X.

The government agency also ordered farmers to disinfect their facilities and emphasized an earlier ban on transporting fish in and out of the infected zones.

The disease was confirmed last week at laboratories in Chile and Canada. Early reports suggested the disease was detected on just two fish farms - both operated by the Norwegian company Marine Harvest but two other Chiloe fish farms have since been affected.

ISA symptoms include a paling of the gills, swelling of the liver and spleen, and internal hemorrhaging in fish. Transmission of the disease has also been associated with Caligus, also known as sea lice. Caligus, a major problem in Chile, are parasitic crustaceans that attach themselves to fish, creating lesions that render their hosts susceptible to various diseases.

SalmonChile has been careful to downplay the severity of the current situation, suggesting that the Chilean strain of the disease is more benign than ISA elsewhere.