USAHA News
United States Animal Health Association
Contact:  Larry Mark - (703) 451-3954 - ldmark@erols.com


For immediate release:

REGULATION NEEDED TO STOP SPREAD OF FISH DISEASE

	MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. Oct. 16, 2006 -- Concern about the possible spread of a fish disease -- 
Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) -- prompted the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) Committee 
on Aquaculture to call for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to establish an 
interim emergency regulation to prevent the movement of VHS virus from positive to negative areas.

        VHS is a systemic infection of salmon and rainbow trout that is common in Europe.  In the United States, 
the virus has been isolated in the Puget Sound area of Washington, but no VHS outbreaks or isolations of VHS 
virus have been reported elsewhere.  In Washington, natural infections have been diagnosed in chinook salmon, 
coho salmon and steelhead (searun rainbow trout).  The disease causes significant mortality.  Fish that survive 
may become carriers.

	In other action at its meeting here this week, the Committee asked APHIS to conduct a risk assessment 
for another disease affecting salmon and rainbow trout -- Oncorhynchus masou Virus Disease (OMVD).  This 
disease exists in Japan and probably the coastal rivers of eastern Asia.  

	The Committee said that if the risk assessment shows that OMVD is a significant risk to U.S. fisheries, 
APHIS should ask the Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE) to consider it for re-listing.

						###