DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (Information
Bulletin ref :351/08) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 4
November 2008
Restrictions which
have been in place since the identification of viral haemorrhagic
septicaemia (VHS) in May 2006 have been lifted today.
The United Kingdom originally suspended its approved status for
VHS for the whole of Great Britain following the identification of
the VHS virus at a single trout farm in North Yorkshire. The
disease was eradicated from the affected fish farm which was
subsequently disinfected and fallowed. Statutory controls were put
in place on the Greater Ouse river catchment area and a
comprehensive disease investigation conducted of farmed and wild
fish stocks across the affected area.
Following a two year surveillance programme, which required
regular inspection and testing of susceptible species in the
affected zone no further evidence for the presence of VHS has been
found. After application to the European Commission, Great Britain
has regained full VHS freedom status.
Suspicion of the presence of the disease should be immediately
reported to the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Science (Cefas) in Weymouth, on 01305-206673/206674 or fish.health.inspectorate@cefas.co.uk
Notes to Editors
1. VHS has no implications for human health.
2. This was the first outbreak of VHS recorded in mainland Great
Britain, although there was an outbreak of the marine form of the
disease in farmed turbot in the Isle of Gigha in 1994.
3. Further information on VHS and other serious freshwater
disease can be found on the Defra website http://www.defra.gov.uk. The
efishbusiness website (http://www.efishbusiness.co.uk)
also provides information on fish health matters.
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