As part of its latest expansion plans for the U.K. market, fish health and welfare consultancy PatoGen Ltd. is to set up a new laboratory in Oban, Scotland, offering its preventive and diagnostic services.
Ålesund, Norway-headquartered PatoGen has been working in Scotland since 2014. It established its office at the SAMS campus in Oban in August 2018.
“Since PatoGen entered the Scottish market we have collaborated well with the farming companies with steady increase in activity. The farming companies in Scotland have embraced our services and developed the use even further and made it a part of the industry’s daily routines,” the company said in a press release.
The Oban laboratory is expected to be operational during summer 2021.
“The laboratory in Scotland will be set up to support the salmon producing industry in the U.K. and will be offering services with the same quality as we offer in our reference market Norway,” PatoGen CEO Jørn Ulheim said.
Earlier this year, PatoGen launched analysis for non-virulent ISAV-HPR0, a low-pathogenic variant of infectious salmon anemia virus which infects the epithelial cells of the gills and does not cause disease.
With samples for ISAV-HPR0 testing taken from moribund or clinically healthy fish, PatoGen said it believes it is important to get an overview of the prevalence of the virus since high infection pressure of ISAV-HPR0 is considered to be a risk factor for ISA at sea.
“It is the excellent collaboration, and the proactive farmers focus on maintaining good fish health and welfare, that allows us to commit to the next step in PatoGen’s establishment in the U.K.,” PatoGen Key Account Manager Teresa Garzon said.
Photo courtesy of PatoGen
