VANCOUVER – Two viruses that can be fatal to some B.C. salmon species have failed to turn up in tests conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Infectious salmon anemia and infectious pancreatic necrosis are caused by viruses and can take a heavy toll on farmed Atlantic salmon and some trout species.
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The agency says mortality rates on farms during an infectious salmon anemia outbreak average 30 per cent, while infectious pancreatic necrosis can cause death in fry, fingerlings and smolts.
It says more than 8,000 samples of trout and salmon species were collected and tested between 2012 and 2013 and that they all showed negative results for the viruses.
Surveillance data collected between 2006 and 2011 on farmed B.C. salmon was also analyzed, and the agency says there was no evidence to suggest the presence of the viruses in those populations, either.
The agency says it is currently testing the province’s farmed salmon for the presence of non-pathogenic infectious salmon anemia to confirm it is free of the disease and plan on testing other wild and farmed finfish.
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