Samples from one individual at the facility tested positive for ISA.
Aquaculture biotech company Benchmark Genetics, a part of Benchmark Holdings, has reported the suspicion of Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) at its facility in Salten, Nordland county, Norway.
The company disclosed this information in a press release on Wednesday.
Samples from one individual at the facility tested positive for ISA, as confirmed by Pharmaq Analytiq laboratory on January 23, 2024, according to the release.
The virus levels in the samples were described as moderate to low. There have been no signs of the disease at the facility or in the specific tank from which the fish originated, the company noted.
The Salten facility is Benchmark’s land-based center for broodstock and roe production located in Sørfold Municipality, Norwat. The tank under suspicion, housing a group of 1,582 breeding fish with a production capacity of approximately 12 million roe, operates as an independent unit with a separate water system and its own equipment for smoking.
In response to the suspected ILA case, Benchmark Genetics has quarantined the parent fish in the relevant tank, and plans are in place to destroy them. The company believes the potential consequences of this suspicion are limited to the tank in question.
Benchmark Genetics has also stated its cooperation with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to ensure biosecurity at the facility. As a preventive measure, all roe from the facility are routinely screened for the ISA before delivery, a practice aimed at preventing the transmission of pathogens to customers.
