The ISA virus present in Chile is linked to a Norwegian strain
Just four years ago, Chile was competing with Norway to become the world’s largest exporter of salmon. But since the ISA outbreak, stocks have plummeted and as many as 20,000 jobs have been lost. The disease, which does not affect humans if an infected fish is consumed, kills off salmon by attacking their red blood cells.
The concern had initially been whether the disease had been latent in Chile, or had come from imported eggs.
According to the local newspaper The Santiago Times, a recent study by the Biotechnology Center at the Universidad de Santiago appears to have resolved the question. The virus that erupted in Chile had its origins in the Norwegian strain. This conclusion was reached by comparing the genome of infected fish in Chile with infected salmon in Norway.
Suspicions that the infected eggs were deliberately shipped to Chile from Norway have been entertained by local prosecutors, but no lawsuits have been filed.
