Norway-based salmon farmer Bakkafrost on Sunday said it suspects a possible outbreak of Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) at one of its sites.
The detection “Is not connected to any increase in mortality and there is no impact on fish health or fish welfare,” the company said. Three routine surveillance samples taken at its Selatrað farm tested ISA-positive.
However, “further sequencing of these three ISA positive samples showed a deletion in the HPR-region in one sample. However, post-mortem examination of fish in the farm did not show any pathological sings of ISA.”
The company said it activated the ISA-contingency plan immediately, enforcing slaughtering of the last cage at the farming site, with the average weight per fish estimated at 0.5 kilograms (kg).
Analysis on new samples from the farm showed the same deletions in the HPR-region and hence a possibility of the presence of an ISA-pathogenic.
Bakkafrost said it will send out an announcement once the final results are available, confirming or denying the ISA suspicion.
