ZyGem Corp. and Diagnotec S.A. have entered into an agreement to produce molecular diagnostics for detecting infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), a deadly pathogen that attacks salmon and other fish species.
IPNV is a highly contagious virus that is on the rise at fish farms, namely in Chile, Norway and Scotland. The virus can be easily transmitted through infected water, eventually affecting both farmed and wild fish. Molecular diagnostics provides for easy sampling and quick results at a low cost. Diagnotec provides IPNV screening services to approximately 70 percent of the Chilean salmon industry.
"As demands on the global food industry rise, innovative approaches to maintaining the health and productivity of food stock species are growing in importance," says Paul Kinnon, CEO of ZyGem. "Diagnotec is an emerging leader in the development of innovative diagnostics to detect and prevent the spread of food species pathogens, and we welcome the opportunity to incorporate our unique enzyme-based nucleic acid extraction technology to further enhance their diagnostic products and services for the aquaculture sector."
