Fish virus alert

No threat to human health         

[SEPT. 30, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is alerting aquaculture operators, fish dealers and other fisheries interests to take precautionary measures in an effort to prevent the spread of a viral disease that is causing significant fish kills in some areas of the Great Lakes.

The viral disease known as viral hemorrhagic septicemia affects a number of species of fish but does not affect humans and poses no threat to human health.

"VHS was known to have killed trout and salmon on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts in the past, but a new strain is causing mortalities in muskie, yellow perch, drum and other sport and non-sport fish in areas of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario," said Scott Stuewe, chief of the Division of Fisheries for the Department of Natural Resources. "Because VHS is proving lethal to species that are common in Lake Michigan and waterways, lakes and ponds in Illinois, every precaution must be taken to try to keep the disease from advancing into the state's waters."

The Department of Natural Resources has issued an alert targeted to aquaculture operators and fish dealers who move fish and fish eggs into and out of the state. The alert has also been sent to university research personnel involved in fisheries projects that may require moving fish or fish eggs into the state. The alert suggests a limit on importation or shipment of fish from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

"We are also suggesting that bait dealers and anglers make every attempt not to move bait and fish from out of state into Illinois," Stuewe said. "Just recently, fish with VHS were found in an inland lake in New York State, meaning the disease may have been carried into that area through the movement of bait fish or water from a live well or holding tank on a fishing boat."

The alert suggests that all tanks, containers and live wells that have held fish from infected waters should be disinfected.

The Department of Natural Resources is working with fish and wildlife agencies in the Great Lakes states and provinces and federal authorities in the U.S. and Canada to develop control strategies to limit the spread of the virus in fish.

"Like any new disease, until fish build up immunity to the virus, there will probably be large-scale fish kills in areas where VHS is present," Stuewe said. "We want to emphasize though, that there is no known threat to human health from this virus."

[Illinois Department of Natural Resources news release]