Fish virus threatens Minnesota’s lakes
 
By Nicholas Phelps, M.S.
 
The Ebola virus for fish. Perhaps that’s the best way to describe VHS, or viral hemorrhagic septicemia. The lethal fish virus causes severe hemorrhaging and is capable of producing massive fish kills in some of Minnesota anglers’ favorite game and eating fish including: Muskie, walleye, perch, sunfish, crappie, and small and largemouth bass.
The invasive disease (which is not native to the Great Lakes) was first diagnosed in Lakes St. Clair and Ontario in 2005. Since then, fish kills have occurred throughout the remaining Great Lakes, including Huron and Michigan, and inland lakes of New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It has yet to hit Lake Superior and inland Minnesota lakes – but fish experts predict it is just a matter of time before the virus spreads through the land of 10,000 lakes.
While the virus does not pose a threat to people who handle or eat an infected catch, it is not something you want stewing in your favorite fishing hole. Not only does the virus have potential to hurt the sport fishing and tourism industries, it also will likely have a detrimental impact on the commercial fish industry. Fish used for stocking and bait will be required to undergo strict (and expensive) testing before being released into state waters.
As a first line of defense to prevent the spread of VHS, anglers should not move potentially infected water or fish (bait or game) from one lake to the next in their livewells or bait buckets. When you leave a lake, drain all water before leaving the water access and dispose of all bait or fish parts in the trash. Another precaution is to spray and dry your boat, trailer, and recreational equipment.
The University of Minnesota has taken a number of preventative steps to halt the spread of VHS. The first was creating the position I hold as the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory’s aquaculture specialist.  At our St. Paul lab, we’re testing fish that are moving out of Minnesota and across the nation for VHS and other diseases. We are also working with fish farms and state agencies throughout the region, since few labs have these capabilities.
Our lab has also been working in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources on a federally funded VHS surveillance program, testing 90 bodies of water through this spring.  
The University of Minnesota will continue to work with the DNR and veterinarians to offer the necessary diagnostic and export testing services for the state's aquaculture industry, hobbyists, and natural fisheries. The combination of experience, testing methods, and capacity makes it a win-win situation for both labs and the state. The lab was also recently approved to conduct export testing for VHS by the United States Department of Agriculture. We are one of only eight labs in the country to receive that approval.
While it’s not time to panic, it’s certainly time to be aware, since many are considering VHS to be the worst freshwater fish disease of all time.
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Nicholas Phelps, M.S., is the Aquaculture Specialist for the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Health Talk & You is an educational service of the University of Minnesota. Advice presented should not take the place of an examination by a health-care professional. For more health-related information, go to http://www.healthtalk.umn.edu/.  For comments or questions about Health Talk & You e-mail buss@umn.edu.