[wildsalmonpeople] ISA virus‏

[Rick Baerg]

Dear Wild Salmon People

The lab reports on ISA virus positive tests are so critical to the health of the Fraser sockeye that the Cohen Commission is re-opening it's hearings on December 15, 16 and 19. There are reports in the media that 100% of the Cultus Lake sockeye of the Fraser River also tested positive for ISAv - 6 years ago in a study co-authored by DFO. Apparently DFO did not provide the Inquiry with this crucial piece of evidence, calling into question the integrity of statements under oath that there is no evidence of ISAv in BC waters. BC farm salmon have been sold to trade partners as grown in ISA virus-free waters. This may be inaccurate.

In preparation for these hearings, I have written a report on what we know about ISA virus in BC and posted it on my blog. At this point we don't know where ISAv came from or even if it might always have been here. We do know government has refused to acknowledge the most recent positive results I have gotten from two labs on ISAv in Fraser sockeye. They only refer to the tests done on Rivers Inlet sockeye smolts. With the help of expert advice, a team of dedicated samplers and funds from you we have tested 14 different rivers in BC for the virus, those results are slowing coming in. I have posted the actual reports on my blog. It is essential that government be prohibited from treating salmon disease as a federal secret. Viruses are highly successful pathogens and we would be fools to allow this one to fester undisturbed. Whether it is introduced or has always been here, what we know about ISAv, through the experience of countries struggling to get rid of it, is that it mutates in the captive environment into highly-virulent strains, like any flu virus. That means salmon farms and enhancement hatcheries have to be tested by open and independent labs. If anyone would like to know how to do this contact me. Why wouldn't we want to know?

If you plan to attend the inquiry please note the new location and time (9am). The Commission has drawn excellent witnesses - the non-government scientists who have found the virus, and the government scientists who can't find it.

Asia Pacific Hall at the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue
580 West Hastings Street
(enter via Seymour Street courtyard entrance)
Vancouver, BC
cohencommission.ca

I have put together a slideshow in tribute to the movement to protect wild salmon, showing some of the people who have offered their time, creativity and heart to protecting wild salmon from salmon farms. It is posted on my blog. The diversity and dedication of the people who have stood together for wild salmon gives me enormous hope for our future in this rather dark age of reckless, ruthless greed. Thank you all and thank you to the many who do not appear in these pictures, you are truly spectacular.

Thank you also to Justice Cohen for your willingness to reopen the hearings at this inconvenient time in an effort to get to the bottom of what ISA virus is doing in British Columbia.

Alexandra Morton

http://alexandramorton.typepad.com

[Olydagoly]

PLease Rick not you too. Damn the queen of propaganda.

[cellikbhoy]

whos the queen of propaganda??

[nebc]

From a comment in a different forum:

A PCR test homes in on a specific sequence of viral RNA. When it finds this specific sequence (or footprint) it can be called a presumptive positive test result; however, obtaining a positive PCR test result is not the end because of the possibility of false positive tests. In addition, when your tissue quality is substandard due to improper preservation it gets much more difficult to test, if not impossible. Some samples can be run through PCR with positive results the first time, but further tests can result in negative results (i.e. non-repeatable results). There is also the possibility that some labs can use slightly different techniques. This is the stage we are at. Many of the higher profile aquaculture critics want to stop right here, but further confirmation is required.

As I posted before, confirmatory testing can take two forms. First, the virus should be isolated from the host using cell culture. Basically, you have to infect host cells with this viral culture to see if this is actually going to do what you presume it is going to do - cause disease. It is possible to have a positive PCR test and ultimately a negative cell culture. Second, conventional PCR is used to amplify larger portions of those viral genes which are then sequenced and compared to an ISA fingerprint. In BC, at the present time, we are not at this stage.

There may very well be an ISA-type virus that has existed here for quite awhile, but it does not necessarily mean that it is causing disease. People think that if a host gets a virus that it automatically causes disease and it automatically means that it is lethal - not true. Dr. Kyle Garver (collegue of Dr. Miller) goes into this in more detail. At this stage, scientists are not even sure that this is even causing disease for that matter, so how can some fish farm critics be making claims to the contrary? It may be asymptomatic for all we know. Their are definite gaps in our knowledge of the pathology of diseases in wild salmon, so we should all try to keep an open mind.