In British Columbia, a pathogen that is conceivably the most dreaded viral disease of the marine farmed salmon industry has surfaced for the first time. This is according to a new study in Virology Journal. The authors caution that the manifestation of the virus termed infectious salmon anemia virus, could substantially enhance the risk of destructive pandemics for salmon fisheries from Alaska and extending towards the Pacific Northwest.

“The salmon virus is a member of the influenza family, which mutates fast and easily,” says co-author Alexandra Morton, who is an independent marine biologist. There is not a site in the world where the virus has thrived quietly. It has always created issues. In 1999, it was detected in Chile where no action was taken to contain it. They let it replicate and evolve, and in the year 2007, a manifestation took place, which swept the coast and resulted in damage of about $2 billion.

Morton felt the need and usefulness of testing this dangerous virus. She faced various barriers from her co-workers, and even from the fish farmers who denied her access to test the farmed salmon. Nonetheless, Morton, together with her co-authors tested over 1,000 salmon, both farmed and wild from British Columbia supermarkets and discovered evidence of 78 in ISAV.

The virus was also discovered in sea lice from Discovery Islands. This region is known for salmon farms, which raises concerns that the pathogen was initiated from open net fish farming. The new study utilizes Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology, the basic technique for magnifying DNA segments and linking them to a certain species.

Morton vs. Marty

Gary Marty, British Columbia’s chief fish pathologist argued that the report forwarded to the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association did not offer a conclusive review of thousands of previous PCR studies, which revealed they were negative for the virus. Also, he stated the likelihood of contamination in the untidy conditions of the laboratory where the PCR testing was conducted.

Morton however argued that the new study surpassed the previous ISAV testing with techniques that surpassed peer review in one of the best virology journals. They not only detected the virus, but also found pieces of the virus that they ran under GenBank, the National Institutes of Health genetic database. It has the same technology as running a fingerprint.

Morton speculated that the opposition to the new study was based solely on the economic value of the farmed and wild salmon industry, estimated to be worth $1 billion in a year in British Columbia. If the findings of the ISAV were to be confirmed, Canada would be forced to report it to the International Organization for Animal Health in Paris, thereby permitting other countries to bar imports without dreading incursions of trade penalties.

Therefore, what needs to happen now is laboratories need to conduct the same test and allowed access to the farmed fish. As at now, no-one has stepped up to the plate. It is important people learn from the occurrences in Chile. Morton believes that the testing will provide B.C. the chance to steer clear of tragic repercussions.