Scientists investigate if a herpes virus is behind the mass deaths of sardines off South Africa
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Scientists in South Africa are investigating why masses of sardines have washed up dead or dying along parts of the country’s west and south coast — and if a herpes virus detected in the fish is responsible. The mass…
A herpes virus called pilchard herpesvirus (PHV) is being investigated by scientists in South Africa as a potential cause of the mass deaths of sardines along the west and south coast of the country. PHV, which has previously caused mass sardine mortality events in Australia in the 1990s, can lead to inflammation and thickening of the fish's gills, affecting their ability to absorb oxygen.
The South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is unsure of the primary cause of the sardine deaths, but PHV has been confirmed as the first virus of its kind found in sardines off South Africa. The virus does not pose a known risk to human health, and the detection of PHV does not mean that healthy sardines caught commercially or canned sardine products are unsafe to eat.
Scientists are examining dozens of sardines, some dead and some alive, from affected areas to determine the extent of PHV in both dead and live fish. While other factors such as harmful algae, unusually cold sea temperatures, or low oxygen conditions are being considered, evidence now suggests that PHV is the leading explanation for the mass sardine deaths.
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