More ISA virus confirmed in Chile
The first suspected ISA virus affecting Atlantic salmon in Chile was found in a Marine Harvest farm in late July of this year. Since then, six farm sites belonging to Marine Harvest are suffering from outbreaks and thirty-four others from neighbouring salmon companies are under quarantine. So far the quarantined area has not reached beyond the sector of Lemuy, and island within the archipelago of Chiloé. What is different about Marine Harvest’s most recent farm that tested positive for ISA, is that it hasn’t shown clinical symptoms or higher mortalities. This is a concern for Sernapesca (Chile’s national fisheries service), since it could mean a new mutation of the virus and one endemically Chilean. According to statistics provided by Aquanoticias, Marine Harvest concentrates 40% of its salmon production in Chile.
