[MARINE_BIOLOGY_INTERNATIONAL] HEART AND SKELETAL MUSCLE VIRUS, SALMON - CHILE

HEART AND SKELETAL MUSCLE VIRUS, SALMON - CHILE
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Date: 11 Oct 2011
Source: Diario Financiero [in Spanish, trans. Mod.PMD, edited] <http://www.entornointeligente.com/articulo/1184729/CHILE-Sernapesca-detecta-nuevo-virus-en-la-industria-salmonera-local-y-activa-controles-preventivos>

The detection of a new virus in the Chilean salmon industry set off alarms at the Chilean Fishing Service (SERNAPESCA). Even though active surveillance had been conducted since beginning of 2011, SERNAPESCA intensified control actions after HSMI [heart and skeletal muscle inflammation] virus was found in freshwater fish and sea hatcheries.
This virus [HSMI] has already been found in Norway.

Although the director of SERNAPESCA, Juan Luis Ansoleaga, clarified that "this disease does not cause major economic losses, considering that mortality rates range from 0-3 percent," in the webpage of SERNAPESCA, it is stated that "[in Norway] outbreaks caused by HSMI virus showed mortality rates close to 15 percent."

In any case, there is uncertainty about the disease. According to
Ansoleaga: "This one is considered an emerging infectious disease in Norway, a country where control actions are not being implemented even though the virus is widely distributed but in sea and fresh water hatcheries." However, he adds that "there are aspects of [HSMI virus] epidemiology that have not been clarified yet; therefore, there is still uncertainty regarding the disease and the agent".

SERNAPESCA will extend the surveillance to freshwater fish in order to assess the distribution of the virus in the country. "We have expanded our surveillance efforts with the aim of obtaining more information regarding the situation of the agent, and eventually the disease, in the national salmon industry, which allow the health agencies to evaluate the necessity of establishing specific measures," Ansoleaga said.

Diagnostic tests are being run at the Pathology Institute of Universidad Austral de Chile. A training program for SERNAPESCA inspectors was carried out in August and September [2011].

By mid-2007, the salmon industry suffered the effects of infectious salmon anemia virus. The impact of that disease lasted until the end of 2009 and meant an important regression in the explosive development the industry had been having. Because of this situation, a change in regulations was implemented, with initiatives that aimed at exerting a stronger health control in the industry. Salmon companies had to re-negotiate their debts with the banks to assure the continuity of their activities.

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[The 1st cases of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in Atlantic salmon (_Salmo salar_) were registered in 1999 in the Hitra/Froya area of Norway. Since then, there have been an increasing number of outbreaks along the Norwegian coast. There is no mention of any pathological finding in this report, just the diagnosis of the virus. Usually, no external lesions are recognized. The most consistent histopathological findings are severe and extensive inflammation in heart and skeletal muscle. So far, the disease has only been diagnosed in _S. salar_. It is unclear what species is being referred to by "freshwater fish." - Mod.PMB]

[see also:
2011
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Infectious salmon anemia - Chile 20110730.2287 2010
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Infectious salmon anemia - Chile 20100820.2909 Infectious salmon anemia - Chile (02): (MA) 20101109.4064
2009
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Infectious salmon anemia - Chile 20090715.2526 Infectious salmon anemia - Chile (02): origin 20090719.2568] .................................................sb/pmb/msp/mpp/ll
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