ISA vaccine approved in Chile

The Ministry of Agriculture, through the Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG), last week approved an infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) vaccine developed by a domestic veterinary pharmaceutical company. Sales of the vaccine will begin in June.

The Centrovet laboratory undertook two years of research in full compliance of international standards and invested around USD 6 million in developing the vaccine from a viral strain present in salmon from the south of Chile; the company hopes to produce 60 million doses this year.

The vaccine has been very well received by clients "who very much hope the vaccine will solve the problems currently being faced by the industry," assured David Farcas, general manager of Centrovet.

According to the laboratory manager, the vaccine is the first immunological alternative of its kind developed in Chile to combat the ISA virus, a pathogen that has disrupted Chile's salmon farming industry since mid-2007.

"Our pharmaceutical company wants to contribute to scientific development through the vaccine, as well as make a relevant donation to aquaculture development," stated Farcas to Aqua.

The new vaccine, which is injectable and must be administered intraperitoneally in salmon weighing no less than 30g, is expected to facilitate the effective control of the ISA virus and accelerate industry recovery.

Centrovet is a national veterinary pharmaceutical company, dedicated to animal health research, development and production.

Several companies dedicated to farming Atlantic salmon are diversifying their production with other salmonid varieties, like coho salmon and trout, in an attempt to skirt the economic and sanitary complications of viral ISA.

Coho salmon and trout, which today account for 30 per cent and 35 per cent of the biomass produced, respectively, are "the hope of the salmon farming industry," concludes a study recently released by consulting firm Raccaro.