Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
Read this article and you'll see that something does not seem right about what the CFIA is doing or more accurately not doing!!!
ISA virus - Did the CFIA retest or not?
Below are 5 letters, for the record, from me asking the Canadian Food Inspection Agency which is true. Did they retest my samples or not?
The media was told the CFIA retested the ISA virus - positive samples but a CFIA investigator wrote to me that the CFIA never retested my samples.
The CFIA complained to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) the retesting could not confirm the Kibenge lab results. This led to stripping the lab of it's ISA virus reference status.
If the CFIA inspector is correct would this mean the Kibenge lab's work stands? Would it mean the world animal health community was misled? Would it mean British Columbia is a suspect ISA-positive region? Would this mean it is time to act to contain this virus?
I think it is time to get to the bottom of this quickly, because ISA virus is the most deadly European salmon virus known.
I have been writing to the Elena Koutsavakis, CFIA spokesperson quoted in the media, since July asking her did they retest or not?
The CFIA has never responded.
Dear Elena Koutsavakis (CFIA)
I have been writing to you monthly without reply since your interview with Canadian Press wherein you are quoted saying the CFIA is "obligated to confirm the test results at another lab, which did not corroborate Kibenge's results and led to the two audits".
Your statement was in reference to my samples of BC wild and farmed salmon that tested positive for ISA virus sequence in Dr. Kibenge's lab at the Atlantic Veterinary College, were taken by the CFIA and the subsequent OIE stripping of this lab's status as an ISA reference lab.
While you indicate the CFIA retested my samples, could not find ISA virus sequence and that this lead to the OIE's move against the lab, CFIA staff, Gary Kruger stated the opposite in a long email chain to me (attached). His understanding, as the investigator in charge of this case, is that none of my samples have been retested because I don't have chain-of-custody. Furthermore, he informed me that all my samples have been placed in ethanol which deactivates viruses and would make any future attempt to "confirm" ISA virus impossible with these samples as Canada requires isolation of the live virus to accept that ISA virus is present.
Download CFIA Email Thread highlightedb.pdf (128.6K)
I would like to know which answer is correct? Did the CFIA retest my samples or not? Can we examine those test results? If two labs disagree, there has to be a scientific explanation.
It is accurate to state that ISA virus sequence has been detected in British Columbia. What we don't know is what that sequence is attached to. Is it a piece of an ISA virus variant, or is it attached to some other virus?
I know this is an uncomfortable subject, but whether by science, or by epidemic outbreak, it will become clear whether ISA virus is in British Columbia, Canada. ISA virus has a well-documented history of being ignored until it starts killing massive numbers of salmon. So it is in everyone's best interest that we do what we can not to repeat what is currently underway in eastern Canada - a new variant of ISA virus spreading coastwide, province to province, just as it did in Chile, Norway, Scotland, and the Faroe Islands.
The OIE will not say why they voted unanimously to strip the Kibenge lab and so this issue falls on your shoulders, what evidence exists that conventional PRC testing of my samples has not generated ISA virus sequence?
Thank you for your patience,
Alexandra Morton
On 2013-09-13, at 10:55 AM, Alex Morton wrote:
Dear Elena Koutsavakis:
I still have not received an answer from you regarding your comments in the media that the CFIA retested my samples where ISA virus sequence was detected. Today I learned several key BC veterinarians in the ISA virus issue, Dr. Gary Marty, Dr. Kim Klotins and Dr. Joseph Beres have all resigned or been suspended from the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia (http://www.cvbc.ca/cfm/index.cfm?It=100&Id=380).
Can you tell me why the CFIA told me none of my samples were retested, when you told the media they had been retested, and why two of your vets have been suspended from the College of BC Veterinarians?
I know this is a difficult situation, but everyone would benefit from clearing this up,
Alexandra Morton
On 2013-08-30, at 7:53 AM, Alex Morton wrote:
Dear Ms Koutsavakis:
I still have not heard from you regarding the conflicting statements by the CFIA regarding ISA virus. Did the CFIA retest my samples for ISA virus as per your comments in the Canadian Press or has the CFIA refused to retest my samples after confiscating them from the lab as communicated to me by CFIA inspector Gary Kruger?
These statements are so opposite they cannot both be accurate. ISA virus is causing bankruptcy on the east coast of Canada right now http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Loca...company-hard/1 Clearly allowing the virus to proliferate is not good for anyone.
As we progress into the era of climate change, it is going to be very important that citizens can take full confidence in government structures we pay to protect us from the spread of viruses. The CFIA cannot leave us with these two conflicting statements and expect confidence in your agency. There has to be a reason why seven highly proficient labs are finding ISA virus sequence. This is a scientific question that can be answered.
Punishment for ISA virus detection has been used before, but it did not going to control the spread of this virus through Chile. Eventually, BC will face what Norway, Scotland, Faroe Islands, Chile and Eastern Canada face - ISA virus outbreaks, with the added dynamic of impact on wild Pacific salmon with consequences no one can accurately predict.
If I could make a suggestion, perhaps you could personally oversee full sequencing of my samples, even though the the CFIA put them in ethanol, thus making "confirmation" of the virus impossible. Then you would have a full working knowledge of how to frame the CFIA statements to rebuild trust and deal proactively with this virus. Because we have the same companies using the same Mowi salmon livestock as other regions with ISA virus and because Canada never made anyone sign import forms stating there was no ISA virus in the eggs that came into BC, it is entirely reasonable that ISA virus is in BC. The important thing is to stop it from causing the entirely predictable epidemic characteristic of this virus/disease.
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience, thank you,
Alexandra Morton
On 2013-07-22, at 8:31 AM, Alex Morton wrote:
Dear Ms Koutsavakis:
I have not received a reply to my questions. When you told the Canadian Press that the CFIA was "obligated to confirm the tests at another lab" which lab was that and why does this statement conflict with emails to me from Gary Kruger of the CFIA where he stated that there was no retesting done of the ISAv - positive samples that I sent to the Kibenge lab.
In this article the BC Salmon Farmers attempt to convince the public that ISA virus came here on its own via the connecting oceans! http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion...d-one-1.543391
It is very important moving forward that we understand whether the CFIA did actually retest my samples or not.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Alexandra Morton
See the second (part 2) post for the continuation of this posting
ISA virus - Did the CFIA retest or not?
Below are 5 letters, for the record, from me asking the Canadian Food Inspection Agency which is true. Did they retest my samples or not?
The media was told the CFIA retested the ISA virus - positive samples but a CFIA investigator wrote to me that the CFIA never retested my samples.
The CFIA complained to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) the retesting could not confirm the Kibenge lab results. This led to stripping the lab of it's ISA virus reference status.
If the CFIA inspector is correct would this mean the Kibenge lab's work stands? Would it mean the world animal health community was misled? Would it mean British Columbia is a suspect ISA-positive region? Would this mean it is time to act to contain this virus?
I think it is time to get to the bottom of this quickly, because ISA virus is the most deadly European salmon virus known.
I have been writing to the Elena Koutsavakis, CFIA spokesperson quoted in the media, since July asking her did they retest or not?
The CFIA has never responded.
Dear Elena Koutsavakis (CFIA)
I have been writing to you monthly without reply since your interview with Canadian Press wherein you are quoted saying the CFIA is "obligated to confirm the test results at another lab, which did not corroborate Kibenge's results and led to the two audits".
Your statement was in reference to my samples of BC wild and farmed salmon that tested positive for ISA virus sequence in Dr. Kibenge's lab at the Atlantic Veterinary College, were taken by the CFIA and the subsequent OIE stripping of this lab's status as an ISA reference lab.
While you indicate the CFIA retested my samples, could not find ISA virus sequence and that this lead to the OIE's move against the lab, CFIA staff, Gary Kruger stated the opposite in a long email chain to me (attached). His understanding, as the investigator in charge of this case, is that none of my samples have been retested because I don't have chain-of-custody. Furthermore, he informed me that all my samples have been placed in ethanol which deactivates viruses and would make any future attempt to "confirm" ISA virus impossible with these samples as Canada requires isolation of the live virus to accept that ISA virus is present.
Download CFIA Email Thread highlightedb.pdf (128.6K)
I would like to know which answer is correct? Did the CFIA retest my samples or not? Can we examine those test results? If two labs disagree, there has to be a scientific explanation.
It is accurate to state that ISA virus sequence has been detected in British Columbia. What we don't know is what that sequence is attached to. Is it a piece of an ISA virus variant, or is it attached to some other virus?
I know this is an uncomfortable subject, but whether by science, or by epidemic outbreak, it will become clear whether ISA virus is in British Columbia, Canada. ISA virus has a well-documented history of being ignored until it starts killing massive numbers of salmon. So it is in everyone's best interest that we do what we can not to repeat what is currently underway in eastern Canada - a new variant of ISA virus spreading coastwide, province to province, just as it did in Chile, Norway, Scotland, and the Faroe Islands.
The OIE will not say why they voted unanimously to strip the Kibenge lab and so this issue falls on your shoulders, what evidence exists that conventional PRC testing of my samples has not generated ISA virus sequence?
Thank you for your patience,
Alexandra Morton
On 2013-09-13, at 10:55 AM, Alex Morton wrote:
Dear Elena Koutsavakis:
I still have not received an answer from you regarding your comments in the media that the CFIA retested my samples where ISA virus sequence was detected. Today I learned several key BC veterinarians in the ISA virus issue, Dr. Gary Marty, Dr. Kim Klotins and Dr. Joseph Beres have all resigned or been suspended from the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia (http://www.cvbc.ca/cfm/index.cfm?It=100&Id=380).
Can you tell me why the CFIA told me none of my samples were retested, when you told the media they had been retested, and why two of your vets have been suspended from the College of BC Veterinarians?
I know this is a difficult situation, but everyone would benefit from clearing this up,
Alexandra Morton
On 2013-08-30, at 7:53 AM, Alex Morton wrote:
Dear Ms Koutsavakis:
I still have not heard from you regarding the conflicting statements by the CFIA regarding ISA virus. Did the CFIA retest my samples for ISA virus as per your comments in the Canadian Press or has the CFIA refused to retest my samples after confiscating them from the lab as communicated to me by CFIA inspector Gary Kruger?
These statements are so opposite they cannot both be accurate. ISA virus is causing bankruptcy on the east coast of Canada right now http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Loca...company-hard/1 Clearly allowing the virus to proliferate is not good for anyone.
As we progress into the era of climate change, it is going to be very important that citizens can take full confidence in government structures we pay to protect us from the spread of viruses. The CFIA cannot leave us with these two conflicting statements and expect confidence in your agency. There has to be a reason why seven highly proficient labs are finding ISA virus sequence. This is a scientific question that can be answered.
Punishment for ISA virus detection has been used before, but it did not going to control the spread of this virus through Chile. Eventually, BC will face what Norway, Scotland, Faroe Islands, Chile and Eastern Canada face - ISA virus outbreaks, with the added dynamic of impact on wild Pacific salmon with consequences no one can accurately predict.
If I could make a suggestion, perhaps you could personally oversee full sequencing of my samples, even though the the CFIA put them in ethanol, thus making "confirmation" of the virus impossible. Then you would have a full working knowledge of how to frame the CFIA statements to rebuild trust and deal proactively with this virus. Because we have the same companies using the same Mowi salmon livestock as other regions with ISA virus and because Canada never made anyone sign import forms stating there was no ISA virus in the eggs that came into BC, it is entirely reasonable that ISA virus is in BC. The important thing is to stop it from causing the entirely predictable epidemic characteristic of this virus/disease.
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience, thank you,
Alexandra Morton
On 2013-07-22, at 8:31 AM, Alex Morton wrote:
Dear Ms Koutsavakis:
I have not received a reply to my questions. When you told the Canadian Press that the CFIA was "obligated to confirm the tests at another lab" which lab was that and why does this statement conflict with emails to me from Gary Kruger of the CFIA where he stated that there was no retesting done of the ISAv - positive samples that I sent to the Kibenge lab.
In this article the BC Salmon Farmers attempt to convince the public that ISA virus came here on its own via the connecting oceans! http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion...d-one-1.543391
It is very important moving forward that we understand whether the CFIA did actually retest my samples or not.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Alexandra Morton
See the second (part 2) post for the continuation of this posting
