Critic spins tale about ISA virus but leaves out significant facts
Cermaq Canada, Conflict and Criticism, December 6, 2013
Anti-salmon farming activist Alexandra Morton isn't telling the whole truth in her latest tale about salmon viruses.
In a blog post today, Morton repeats the same incorrect claims about the ISA virus she has made many times before.
And again, we will correct them and provide context. Communications Officer Grant Warkentin posted comments on the blog, which are reproduced here.
Re: Dr. Fred Kibenge's lab
Morton made incorrect claims about why the lab which tested her samples for virus is no longer a reference lab for the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health).
The facts:
The OIE audit report about Kibenge's lab clearly explains why its "reference" status was removed.
Highlights:
- "There is currently no formal quality system in place within the OIE‐RL for ISA..."
- "...fall well short of the SOPs required for an internationally recognised standard such as ISO‐17025..."
- “There are insufficient traceable records for instrument calibration, monitoring and maintenance, or laboratory and equipment cleaning…”
- “The panel has serious concerns regarding the current setup in the OIE‐RL. The primary concerns were the cramped, untidy conditions of the laboratories, particularly the general laboratory [room 329(S)] where both sample preparation and post‐PCR analysis were performed in close proximity to each other.”
- “The panel believes that there is a serious risk that the integrity of the test samples will be compromised.”
- “…the panel had concerns that Dr F. Kibenge may deviate from these procedures and use alternative non‐validated in‐house methodologies.”
- “When investigating dubious samples the diagnostic procedure should restart from scratch using a fresh extraction of RNA from the original sample.”
- “There seemed to be a lack of appreciation of the obligations on a Reference Laboratory for thorough investigation of dubious or illogical results, together with the need for evaluation of the biological significance of results.”
Morton is not telling the truth about Kibenge’s lab. It is not being harassed, and she is free to send in as many dubious samples as she wants for the lab to test. The only difference now is it can no longer can claim to be an OIE reference lab for ISA. That status was removed because it did not meet the OIE’s standards, as the audit shows.
Re: other lab tests
Morton again claims that Are Nylund's lab in Norway and other labs found ISA virus. She is not telling the truth about this, either.
Follow-up tests, which are required as a standard procedure worldwide for ISA virus testing, showed no evidence of the virus.
"Why do you always ignore this fact, instead pretending that RT-PCR tests on their own are definitive? If your doctor does a blood test and tells you that you might have terminal cancer, do you go home and make out your will, or do you get the follow-up tests that can definitively show whether or not you have cancer?" Warkentin asked her.
One of Morton's supporters defended the false claims by stating ""With respect to the confirmation of ISA in BC farmed salmon, that is exactly what Dr. Nylund did with the samples that tested positive in Dr. Kibenge's lab, he did the requisite follow-up tests."
This is false. Nylund did not confirm the virus. He did PCR tests. He did not sequence the entire virus, nor did he do a cell culture to confirm the virus, as directed by the OIE's Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals.
Claiming that ISA was "confirmed" is dishonest and Nylund does not say that he "confirmed" anything. At least Ms. Morton linked Nylund's report so we can read it for ourselves instead of her interpretation.
Here is what Nylund really said:
"We were able to detect ISA virus genome in gill sample 36, but this result was not reproducible. The ct value of the positive sample was close to the detection limit for the assay.
"The results obtained by Kibenge (using heart tissue) could not be reproduced by us using gill tissues from the same individuals. This could be explained as a result of tissue tropism for ISA virus in O. nerka, or a combined result of gill tissues sent to us."
Ms. Morton and her supporters need to tell the whole truth about ISA virus testing. Leaving out the rest of the story makes it look like they are trying to trick people into believing negative tests are actually positive. That would be scientifically irresponsible, and dishonest.
Read the full post with embedded reference links here.
