Pilchard herpesvirus detected in sardines: Dead fish wash up near Milnerton
Laboratory tests confirm the presence of pilchard herpesvirus in sardines along the Western Cape coastline, raising alarms as dead fish continue to wash up around Milnerton. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment investigates the cause of this alarming mass mortality event.
Scientists have confirmed the presence of pilchard herpesvirus (PHV) in sardines experiencing a mass mortality event along the Western Cape coastline. Dead fish have been washing up around Milnerton, Sunset Beach, and Lagoon Beach, despite earlier reports suggesting the mortality event may have ended. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has not yet determined if PHV alone caused the deaths.
Other possible factors being investigated include harmful algae, low oxygen levels, and unusual oceanographic conditions. PHV has never been reported in South African sardines before. The department assured the public that PHV does not infect humans or other animals, and the finding does not imply unsafe commercially caught sardines or canned products.
DFFE is extending disease surveillance and plans to conduct a task team involving government, industry, and other stakeholders.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
