Fourth ISA Case found in Control Zone – Fishupdate.com

Fourth ISA Case found in Control Zone Published:  21 May, 2009

The presence of Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) has been confirmed on a fourth 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 in January and March 2009.

In line with the Scottish Governments objective of eradication of outbreaks of ISA, 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 Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009 and it is Scottish Government’s policy to attempt eradication where outbreaks are confirmed. 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. Other control measures include:

* Restrictions on movement of dead fish from sites and to killing stations, for all sites in the control and surveillance zone; and

* Restrictions on movement of personnel and equipment to, from and at sites where there has been a confirmed or suspected case of ISA

There is no evidence to suggest that ISA virus has spread out of South West Shetland.