An urgent inspection of the site is planned.
A suspected outbreak of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) is being monitored in More and Romsdal county in the northernmost part of Western Norway, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority said on Wednesday.
The alarm was raised on August 22 by fish health company Patogen, after conducting PCR tests on fish samples from the site.
Officials from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority are planning an urgent inspection of the Mowi facility, aiming to gather further samples, according to a statement from the agency.
In order to limit the spread of infection, restrictions have been imposed on the site, including a ban on moving fish without special permission.
ISA is a viral disease of Atlantic salmon that can result in serious economic losses in the salmon farming industry.
The virus can cause severe anemia in salmon due to the bursting of red blood cells. Clinical signs in infected fish can include lethargy, swimming close to the water surface or the sides of cages, pale gills, swollen abdomen, and sometimes, internal and external hemorrhaging.
The disease is a concern for aquaculture operations because of its potential to cause high mortality rates and its impact on fish health and farm productivity.
