WOW....
So a coho showed SIGNS of carrying the disease? As far as I see there was NO actual diagnosis.
O my gosh, what ever will we do... lesions, petechiae, exophthalmia all symptoms of ISA and around 20 other virus and bacteria including IHN.
Also, even if the virus was present, that doesn't mean it killed the fish. The fish was about to spawn, with a depressed immune system and hundreds of other possible pathogens in the water. For a proper diagnosis she would have had to send the whole fish, not just a sliver of heart and kidneys. Sounds pretty fishy to me.
You CANNOT make a diagnosis based on visible symptoms alone. You need to also culture it (make sure the virus/bacteria is active) and do some other test such as genetic testing.
They probably never got back to her because there was nothing there. So now as soon as anyone sees lesions or some other abnormalities in normal dying fish (o, did I mention that their immune systems shut down once in freshwater, meaning that they could have been carrying something without ill effect all their life until after spawning) they are going to assume ISA because of the media driven paranoia based on nothing, no true scientific facts, just symptoms of what could be multiple diseases.
O and alwaysfishin', that one report you posted from bcsalmonfacts is part of an interview. They just took the part that best fit their prerogative.
I also love how she tries to make the tiny little salmon seem so cute and innocent. I'll give her one thing, she is definitely a good creative writer.
Cheers,
Dan