60,000 juvenile Steelhead put down. IHN Virus is from wild fish. What a switch that is wild killing hatchery.
> IHN virus outbreak forces fish kill at Robertson Creek Hatchery
>
> by Wawmeesh G. Hamilton - Alberni Valley News
>
> posted Feb 5, 2014 at 6:00 PM
>
>
> A virus outbreak has killed 60,000 juvenile steelhead at Robertson
> Creek Hatchery and prompted the involvement of the Canadian Food
> Inspection Agency.
>
> Fisheries and Oceans Canada has confirmed that there was an outbreak
> of Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis (IHN) virus at the Robertson
> Creek Hatchery.
>
> The virus was diagnosed in January after extensive laboratory
> testing, said Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) spokesperson Carrie
> Mishima, who only responded to questions from the News by e-mail.
>
> The virus has infected more than 60,000 juvenile steelhead at the
> hatchery, which have since been destroyed, officials said.
>
> Hatchery staff became aware of the outbreak after noticing higher
> than normal mortalities in juvenile steelhead. Staff noticed signs
> of the virus and initiated lab tests.
>
> According to the fisheries department, IHN is a naturally occurring
> pathogen in wild fish throughout the Pacific West Coast from Alaska
> to California.
>
> IHN poses no risk to humans but it can spread quickly and has a 100
> per cent mortality rate if a fish population becomes infected.
>
> The virus is known to exist in Great Central Lake where the hatchery
> draws its water supplies. Lab tests identified the virus as the
> endemic, naturally occurring strain that is commonly found in Pacific
sockeye.
>
> The Canadian Food Inspection Agency was called because IHN is a
> reportable disease.
>
> Staff have isolated the area where the infected fish were being
> held, and are cleaning and disinfecting the area.
>
> Measures have also been put in place to control the movement of
> staff and fish in and out of the hatchery.
>
> Cleanup will be completed when the CFIA is satisfied that the
> process has met their requirements.