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Infectious Salmon Anaemia
20/03/2009
The presence of Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) virus has been confirmed on a third salmon farm within the existing ISA control zone in the South West of Shetland.
The farm is close to the farms confirmed as being infected on January 2 and January 30, 2009.
In line with the Scottish Government's objective of eradication of the outbreak, the farm will be depopulated as soon as practicable. This will be done by the farm owners, Hjaltland Sea Farms Ltd, under the supervision of the Fisheries Research Services (FRS) to prevent the spread of the virus.
The controls to contain ISA within the zones established in South West Shetland on January 2 will remain to provide protection for this and other areas of Shetland.
As ISA does not affect humans there is no risk to human health, but it can cause serious damage to stocks of farmed Atlantic salmon in seawater.
Scottish Government ministers are being kept informed of the latest developments.
ISA is a notifiable disease under the Diseases of Fish Act 1937 and it is Scottish Government's policy to attempt eradication where outbreaks are confirmed. ISA does not affect humans. Symptoms of ISA in fish include high mortality rates, darkening of the liver, severe anaemia and visceral haemorrhage.
Statutory movement restrictions have been placed on all sites in the control zone centred on the infected farms and in a wider surveillance zone. Fish Health Inspectors from Scotland's Fisheries Research Services (FRS) have been working throughout January in Shetland to investigate the affected sites and to advise industry on their operations under control arrangements. FRS has also been investigating the potential source and potential spread of ISA and the new case follows those investigations.
Control measures include:
- Restrictions on movement of live fish to and from all affected sites within the control and surveillance zones
- Restrictions on movement of dead fish from sites and to killing stations, for all sites in the control and surveillance zone
- Restrictions on movement of personnel and equipment to, from and at sites where there has been a confirmed or suspected case of ISA
- FRS is acting as the national designated reference laboratory for fish diseases. The team of fish health inspectors will continue the work started on 2 January in Shetland to:
- Investigate any further suspected cases of disease outbreak
- Take samples of fish, or other materials, for laboratory analysis
- Apply disease control measures to all fish farm operators in the affected areas
- Ensure compliance with the controls in force