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Outtake from WI-DNR website May,
14,2007 ********************************************************** VHS virus threatens a broad range of fish A total of more than 25 species of game fish, bait fish and panfish are vulnerable to VHS - the first time a virus has affected so many different fish species from so many fish families in the Great Lakes. VHS virus is considered an invasive species (not native to the Great Lakes), but scientists are not sure how the virus arrived. It may have come in with migrating fish from the Atlantic Coast, or may have hitch-hiked in ballast water from ships. How VHS spreads VHS virus is shed in the urine and reproductive fluids of fish into the water and the virus can survive in water for at least 14 days. Virus particles in the water infect the gills of the fish and within 2 days, the infected fish will start shedding the virus. Thus, water discharged from live wells, bilges and bait buckets can spread the virus from infected waters. Moving live, infected fish from one location to another will also spread the virus. Fish can also become infected by eating an infected fish. Other ways that the virus may be spread include natural fish movements, recreational boating/angling, birds, ballast water discharge, and research activities. Signs a fish has VHS The clinical signs of VHS may include hemorrhaging (bleeding), unusual behavior, anemia, bulging eyes, bloated abdomens, and the rapid onset of death; however, these symptoms could apply to many different fish diseases. VHS must be confirmed by lab tests. Additionally, some infected fish may not show any signs and transporting these fish to new locations could spread the disease to new waters. Thumbnails link to larger images. http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/images/vhsclinicalsigns1.jpg http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhsexample1.html http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/images/vhsclinicalsigns2.jpg http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhsexample2.html http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/images/vhsclinicalsigns3.jpg http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhsexample3.html http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/images/vhsclinicalsigns4.jpg http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhsexample4.html The clinical signs of VHS include hemorrhaging in the muscle tissue and internal organs, pale organs, and bulging eyes. (c) Dr Jim Winton (USGS, Seattle WA), Dr Mohamed Faisal (MSU, Lansing MI) and Dr Paul Bowser (Cornell, Ithaca NY) Additional Information about VHS virus The VHS virus is a serious pathogen of fresh and saltwater fish that is an emerging disease in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. VHS virus is a rhabdovirus (rod shaped virus) that affects fish of all sizes and ages. It does not pose any threat to human health. VHS causes hemorrhaging of skin, muscle, and internal organs, and death follows. Some fish infected with VHS will develop antibodies to the virus and will survive. However, after a period of time the fish may start shedding virus again and spread the disease to other fish. * USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/vhs/vhs.shtml * University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute http://seagrant.wisc.edu/fisheries/Default.aspx?tabid=1586 * Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia in New York http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/25328.html - New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation * VHS Briefing Paper http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/Viral-Hemorrhagic-Septicemia-Fact-Sheet-11-9-2006_178081_7.pdf - Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources * VHS Fact Sheet [PDF 994KB] http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/documents/vhs_factsheet.pdf * Flyer of requirements on Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and Mississippi River [PDF 140KB] http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/documents/vhssign_color.pdf |
