PD Mapping Project

A year-long comprehensive study by MSD Animal Health on the incidence of Pancreas Disease (PD) suggests that vaccination and improved husbandry practices are proving effective as PD has now fallen down the list of most prevalent diseases found in farmed salmon, however remains a continued risk. 

PD is caused by Salmonid alphavirus (SAV) and has six subtypes, four of which are found in Scotland; SAV 1,2,4,5.

The survey covered both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations to evaluate vaccine efficacy by comparing comprehensive historical data collected since 2008 and a similar mapping project completed in 2015 with the recent findings, and found:
: a reduction in positive antibodies suggesting blanket vaccination is providing herd immunity
: the ‘emergence’ of SAV 1 & 5 in Shetland
: spread of SAV 1 & 4 across the mainland and Western Isles
: spread of SAV 5 throughout the Western Isles

To learn more about how we screen and sample fish in the sea, watch this short video.

If you have serology samples to submit as part of the PD Mapping Project download the submission form here.