OIE Reference Laboratory Reports
Activities in 2011
Name of disease (or topic) for
which you are a designated OIE
Reference Laboratory:
Address of laboratory:
Infectious salmon anaemia
Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI)
P.O.Box 750 Sentrum
N-0160 Oslo,
NORWAY
Tel.:
+47 23216000
Fax:
+47 23216001
e-mail address:
website:
postmottak@vetinst.no
www.vetinst.no
Name (including Title and
Position) of Head of Laboratory
(Responsible Official):
Jorun Jarp
Acting Director General
Dr Scient.
Name(including Title and
Position) of OIE Reference
Expert:
Birgit Helene Dannevig
Senior Researcher
Dr Philos.
Name (including Title and
Position) of writer of this report
(if different from above):
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
1
Infectious salmon anaemia
Part I: Summary of general activities related to the disease
1.
Test(s) in use/or available for the specified disease/topic at your laboratory
Test
For
Specificity
Total
Autopsy*
Macroscopic lesions
Group
20
Histopathology
Microscopic lesions
Group
58
Immunohistochmistry
Antigen
Group
147
Immunofluorescence -Tissue
imprints
Antigen
Group
15
Cell culture/IFAT
Virus isolation/identification
Group
15
Real-time RT-PCR
Disease diagnostics
Research/surveillance
Virus RNA
Group
Sequencing
Disease diagnostics
Research/surveillance
Gene (segment 5 and 6)
133
3100
Genotype
5
30
*Autopsy is mainly carried out by local officers from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority or by local fish health
services.
2.
Production and distribution of diagnostic reagents
Type of reagent
Cell cultures (SHK-1, ASK)
ISAV reference strain
Monoclonal anti-ISAV HE*
antibody
Rabbit monospecific antinucleoprotein antibody
Amount supplied nationally
(including for own use)
Not supplied nationally to other laboratories.
Continuous production for diagnostic
purposes
10 ml
Amount supplied to
other countries
6 small flasks
3 vials
Not supplied nationally to other national
laboratories
Not supplied to other
countries
In use for routine diagnostics
*HE – haemagglutinin esterase
2
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Infectious salmon anaemia
Part II: Activities specifically related to the mandate
of OIE Reference Laboratories
3.
International harmonisation and standardisation of methods for diagnostic testing or the
production and testing of vaccines
a)
Establishment and maintenance of a network with other OIE Reference Laboratories
designated for the same pathogen or disease and organisation of regular inter-laboratory
proficiency testing to ensure comparability of results
No activity
b)
Organisation of inter-laboratory proficiency testing with laboratories other than OIE
Reference Laboratories for the same pathogens and diseases to ensure equivalence of
results
Participation in international ring trials
Participated in the Inter-laboratory Proficiency Test 2011, organised by the European Union Reference
laboratory for Fish Diseases, National Veterinary Institute DTU, Arhus, Denmark. ISAV was included in the
test.
Organisation of international ring trials
Organised an ISAV-proficiency test for Laboratorio de Patógenos Acuícolas, Pontificia Universidad Catolica
de Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile (December 2011).
4.
Preparation and supply of international reference standards for diagnostic tests or vaccines
Country
Material
Amount
Finland
SHK-1 cells
2 small flasks
Spain
ISAV reference strain
1 vial
ASK cells
2 small flasks
Tunisia
ASK cells
ISAV reference strain
Litauen
5.
ISAV reference strain
2 small flasks
1 vial
1 vial
Research and development of new procedures for diagnosis and control
A real-time RT-PCR method which detect only ISAV HPR0 variants has been established. Validation of the
method with respect to sensitivity and specificity is in progress. (Financed by NVI).
Tracing viral disease dissemination in aquaculture: an interdisciplinary approach between molecular virology and
dispersal modelling (Part II) (Project management: NVI. Financed by the Research Council of Norway, RCN).
In collaboration with a parallell project in Chile.
Characterisation of ISA HPR0 virus- and infection in Atlantic salmon. (Project management: NVI. Financed by
RCN, Norway)
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
3
Infectious salmon anaemia
Vaccine-related projects
Virulence and Host-Pathogen Interactions (Sub-project at NVI). Part the Atlantic Innovation Fund Canada
programme: “Mitigation of ISA by Vaccination and Genetic Selection” (Project management: Novartis Aqua
Health, PEI, Canada)
Platform for Viral Aquamedicine (Project management: NVI. Financed by RCN, Norway)
Application of a new principle to combat infectious salmon anemia (ISA). (Project management: NVI. Financed
by RCN, Norway)
6.
Collection, analysis and dissemination of epizootiological data relevant to international disease
control
Epizootiological data are continously collected from recent outbreaks of ISA. All ISAV isolates are currently
sequenced and genotyped.
7.
Maintenance of a system of quality assurance, biosafety and biosecurity relevant to the
pathogen and the disease concerned
The quality assurance system at NVI is based on NS-EN ISO/TEC 17025. The real-time RT-PCR method for
detection of ISAV has been prepared for accreditation.
8.
Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE Member Countries


9.
Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals, Chapter on Infectious Salmon Anaemia:
o
Updated the chapter in April 2011
o
Revised the text in December 2011 according to the changes ammended in the report from the Ad hoc
group on Pathogen Differentiation in Aquatic Animals.
Attended the OIE Ad hoc group meeting on Pathogen Differentiation in Aquatic Animals, Paris, September
6-8, 2011, with emphasis on ISAV. The resulting report is submitted to member countries for comments.
Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from other OIE Member Countries
See Section 11.
10. Provision of diagnostic testing facilities to other OIE Member Countries
None
11. Organisation of international scientific meetings on behalf of OIE or other international bodies
Workshop on Surveillance and Epidemiology of Aquatiq Animal Diseases, Copenhagen, Denmark 23-24th
Novmber 2011. Organized by the European Commision by the European Union Reference Laboratory for Fish
Diseases in collaboration with the EURL for molluscs and crustacean diseases, respectively. Directed by the OIE
collaborating centre for Aquatic Epidemiology and Risk Assessment. Oral presentation by T.M. Lyngstad: Use of
molecular epidemiology in tracing disease: Tracing transmission pathways of ISA virus
4
Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
Infectious salmon anaemia
12. Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
None
13. Publication and dissemination of information relevant to the work of OIE (including list of
scientific publications, internet publishing activities, presentations at international conferences)

Presentations at international conferences and meetings
Aamelfot, M,. Dale, O.B., Weli, S., Koppang, E.O., Falk, K. Infectious salmon anaemia virus is an
endotheliotropic virus, and cell tropism is determined by the 4-0-acetylated sialic acid receptor. 15th International
Conference on Diseases of Fish and Shellfish. Split, September 12-16, 2011.
Hauge H, Ramsell JNE, I. Hedfors, Grimholt U, Bogen B , Mjaaland, S. Application of a new vaccine principle
to combat infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) – a piscine orthomyxovirus. The fourth ESWI Influenza
conference, 11-14 September 2011, Malta.
Lyngstad TM, Hjortaas MJ, Kristoffersen AB, Devold M, Aspehaug V, Østvik A, Larssen RB, Jansen PA.
Phylogeographic distribution of Infectious salmon anaemia (ISAV) HPR0 sub types in farmed Atlantic salmon in
Norway. 15th International Conference on Diseases of Fish and Shellfish. Split, September 12-16, 2011.
Markussen M, Sindre H, Christiansen DH, Hjortaas M, Dale OB, Falk K. Comparative Aspects of Infectious
Salmon Anaemia Virus, a Fish Orthomyxovirus, and Influenza Viruses. The fourth ESWI Influenza conference,
11-14 September 2011, Malta.

Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
Aldrin M, Lyngstad TM, Kristoffersen AB, Storvik B, Borgan Ø, Jansen PA (2011) Modelling the spread of
infectious salmon anaemia among salmon farms based on seaway distances between farms and genetic
relationships between infectious salmon anaemia virus isolates. J R Soc Interface. 8(62):1346-56.
Christiansen D.H., Østergaard P.S., Snow M., Dale O.B., Falk K. (2011). A low-pathogenic variant of infectious
salmon anemia virus (ISAV1 - HPR0) is highly prevalent and causes a non-clinical transient infection in farmed
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in the Faroe Islands. J. Gen. Virol., 92, 909–918.
Hetland DL, Dale OB, Skjødt K, Press CM, Falk K. (2011) Depletion of CD8 alpha cells from tissues of
Atlantic salmon during the early stages of infection with high or low virulent strains of infectious salmon anaemia
virus (ISAV). Dev Comp Immunol. 5(8):817-26
Lauscher A, Krossøy B, Frost P, Grove S, König M, Bohlin J, Falk K, Austbø L, Rimstad E (2011) Immune
responses in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) following protective vaccination against infectious salmon anemia
(ISA) and subsequent ISA virus infection. Vaccine.29(37):6392-401.
Lyngstad T.M., Hjortaas M.J, Kristoffersen A.B, Markussen T., Karlsen E.T., Jonassen C.M. , Jansen P.A.
(2011). Use of molecular epidemiology to trace transmission pathways for infectious salmon anaemia virus
(ISAV) in Norwegian salmon farming. Epidemics, 3, 1–11.
McBeath A, Fourrier M, Munro E, Falk K, Snow M. (2011) Presence of a full-length highly polymorphic region
(HPR) in the ISAV haemagglutinin-esterase does not affect the primary functions of receptor binding and esterase
activity. Arch Virol.156(12):2285-9.
Rimstad, E, Dale, OB, Dannevig, BH, Falk, K. (2011) Infectious Salmon Anaemia. In CAB International 2011.
Fish Diseases and Disorders Vol. 3, 2nd Edition: Viral, Bacterial and Fungal Infections (eds P.T.K. Woo and
D.W. Bruno), CAB International, Oxfordshire, UK
Schiøtz BL, Rosado EG, Baekkevold ES, Lukacs M, Mjaaland S, Sindre H, Grimholt U, Gjøen T. (2011)
Enhanced transfection of cell lines from Atlantic salmon through nucoleofection and antibiotic selection.BMC Res
Notes. 2011 May 6;4:136
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Centres, 2011
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