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PHV detected in sardines as investigation into mass mortality continues

sanews.gov.za · 4h · first reportShare

PHV detected in sardines as investigation into mass mortality continues Laboratory sequencing has confirmed the presence of pilchard herpesvirus (PHV) genetic material in sampled sardines, as investigations continue into the cause of recent sardine mortalities along South Africa’s West Coast. In a statement issued on Friday, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) said PHV was detected in both dead sardines and, at lower levels, in some apparently healthy sardines collected from the West Coast. The department said the findings suggest that the presence of the virus alone may not be sufficient to cause mass mortality. “Scientists are therefore also investigating whether an environmental stressor, such as harmful algae, low oxygen or unusual oceanographic conditions, may have triggered or intensified the event. This remains a hypothesis requiring further evidence,” the department said. The department noted that tests for toxins in sardines collected off Saldanha