Friday, February 17, 2012

BREAKING: Cooke Aquaculture Confirms Salmon Virus Scare


(Photo: courtesy of SouthCoastToday.ca)

Cooke Aquaculture says it has a suspected outbreak of the infectious salmon anemia virus at one of its fish farms. In a statement, the seafood company says it destroyed thousands of fish contained in two cages at one of its fish farming sites after routine tests and surveillance of its stocks. But the company declined to say where the outbreak is suspected. It's believed the fish farm in question is located in Shelburne. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating, but it too declined to say where the suspected outbreak is located. Dr. Con Kiley, director of the agency's aquatic animal health program says the virus is not a human health or food risk. "I think the important thing to say is that it is not confirmed to date, the other thing is people need to understand is that infectious salmon anemia is not a human health or food safety issue...it's not,"He says tests will be conducted at a federal lab in Moncton to confirm whether the virus is present.