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PANCREAS Disease (PD) vaccination and monitoring programmes are on track as an increasing number of salmon producers adopt protection strategies. This was the message at a recent seminar and PD ‘master xlass’ hosted by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health at Stirling University Institute of Aquaculture.
An Intervet spokesman said: “The event for leading fish vets and biologists was ideally timed as the company confirmed a significant increase in the number of producers vaccinating with Norvax Compact PD and demand growing into 2011.
“The long-term commitment to provide a comprehensive vaccination and monitoring programme for PD has been a priority for Intervet/Schering-Plough and the UK general manager, David Hallas reaffirmed the company’s focus on the disease in his opening introduction. He explained that for the industry, the success of Norvax Compact PD is dependent on the company providing a complete package of support, which enables producers to manage the potential of the vaccine through to harvest.
“The assembled group were reminded that PD continues to be a major threat to UK salmon producers. Direct and consequential financial losses associated with a breakdown can be severe. The option to implement a vaccination programme has the potential to limit losses, stabilise health in salmon populations and improve profitability.”
The seminar brought together two key speakers with working experiences of PD in the UK. Marian McLoughlin from Aquatic Veterinary Services provided a scientific assessment of the historical and current behaviour of the virus. In detailing how the immune system in salmon is sensitive to stress through grading, moving and many environmental factors, Marian emphasised a holistic approach including vaccination in PD control programmes.
Dafydd Morris, UK technical manager at Intervet /Schering-Plough, reviewed the use of the vaccine both in Scotland and in Norway and highlighted how each country faced different challenges in managing the dynamics of the disease. For example, in Scotland producers have been vaccinating for PD as late as possible in the freshwater phase as PD is understood to be a predominantly second year problem. Morris then presented the company’s comprehensive audit and monitoring programme.
The spokesman added: “Results emerging from the vaccine monitoring programme are very encouraging with no clinical disease occurring on the majority of PD vaccinated sites to date. This observation is particularly relevant as amongst the earliest sites vaccinated were those reporting the most significant PD risk.”
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