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Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA)
ISA is caused by a virus which infects and damages blood cells and cells lining the wall of blood vessels. This often results in haemorrhage in inner organs and the fish develops anaemia. The disease leads to increased mortality and is a list 2 notifiable disease.
Diagnosis is based on several criteria, in which identification of typical pathological changes are combined with detection of virus. Viable virus can only be demonstrated by culture in cell culture, with subsequent identification using IFAT. While PCR is also used for detection of ISA-virus, PCR detection alone is not sufficient to initiate counter-measures.
OIE´s reference laboratory
The National Veterinary Institute of Norway (NVI) is international reference laboratory for the world animal health organisation OIE.
Dr. Birgit H. Dannevig is the resposible expert on the disease at the NVI.
Read more about ISA in the report "The health situation in Norwegian Aquaculture"
Contact persons on ISA at the National Veterinary Institute
Trude M Lyngstad, Section for Epidemiology
Knut Falk, Section for Fish Health
Birgit Dannevig, Section for Virology and Serology