Published January 27 2010
Fish-killing virus confirmed in Lake Superior
Click on the link at the bottom of this story for the Cornell University Press Release

Researchers at Cornell University announced today that they have found fish-killing VHS virus in fish samples from Lake Superior, including the Twin Ports harbor.
By: Sam Cook and John Myers, Duluth News Tribune

Lake Superior's newest troublesome invasion won't come from a giant Asian carp after all, but from a tiny virus that already has caused massive fish die-offs along the eastern Great Lakes.

Researchers at Cornell University announced Wednesday that they have found fish-killing VHS virus in fish samples from Lake Superior, including the Twin Ports harbor.

Fish from Superior Bay and St. Louis Bay, as well as some from Paradise and Skanee Bays in Michigan, tested positive. Some of the results have been corroborated by other laboratories; others have tests still under way.

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia is harmless to people but often lethal to fish. VHS can cause bleeding in fish tissue, including internal organs. Sick fish often appear listless, have bulging eyes, swim in circles or hang just below the surface.

The disease can spread in infected water or infected fish. Once a fish is infected with VHS, there is no known cure. Not all infected fish develop the disease, but even fish with no symptoms can carry and spread the disease to other fish. Fish have no natural defenses to VHS but may be able to build-up immunities

VHS was previously believed to be a cold-water, mostly saltwater disease killing species like salmon in European streams. But it has spread to the U.S. and, for the first time, is killing cool- and warm-water species.

VHS was first found in the eastern Great Lakes in 2005. As of 2009 it had been confirmed as far west as Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. It has been found in more than 40 species and killed fish from more than a dozen species. In Lake Huron, VHS was found in whitefish, walleye, and Chinook salmon. Farther east, it has killed musky, perch, drum, emerald shiners, in some cases by the thousands.

The long-term effects of VHS on fish populations, commercial and recreational fishing and tourism remain unknown. It's also not known how well the disease will thrive in cold and infertile Lake Superior. But it may take better hold in slightly warmer-water estuaries like the lower St. Louis River and Twin Ports harbor.

Supporters of stronger regulations to thwart invasive species say VHS is only the latest of 180 species to invade the lakes.

"This is what happens when you don't have proper regulatory protections in place," said Henry VanOffelen, natural resource scientist for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. "What's going to come next? Are we going to keep delaying action until something else comes down the lakes?"

Local experts say they aren't surprised by the finding because the Great Lakes are connected by water and ship traffic. Since it can't be eradicated, efforts will turn to limiting VHS' spread to inland waters - especially convincing anglers and boaters to take precautions.

"It's very unfortunate but not unforeseen... It's obviously going to change how anglers and management agencies conduct business," said Brian Borkholder, fisheries biologist with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. "I would hope the gravity of the situation will change the way anglers and recreational boaters move their boats around and clean their boats and take seriously the threat of getting VHS into the inland waters of Minnesota."

Dennis Pratt, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist in Superior, said VHS so far hasn't caused major problems here.

It's not clear how long the disease has been in local waters, although tests in 2008 and earlier found no infected fish.

"The interesting thing is that we haven't seen any mortalities [fish die-offs] yet," Pratt said. Mortalities are usually caused by a combination of things: a virus along with fish being stressed, such as during a warm period, or high-water events or spawning periods.

"The important thing, locally, is to tell the DNR if you do see a major number of dead fish and be vigilant in trying to contain it," Pratt added.

The virus variation found in the Great Lakes had never been seen before. It flourishes when water is between 32 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit, generally when many fish are spawning and are most vulnerable to disease.

Minnesota and Wisconsin agencies have moved to restrict transportation of live bait across state lines to help slow VHS. Agencies, mostly the DNR, also are changing how they move fish for stocking programs, especially around Lake Superior, to prevent moving potentially contaminated fish into other waters.

"We've changed a number of our management practices to prevent against any inland transfer if it were in the system," said Don Schreiner, Lake Superior area fisheries supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Both Minnesota and Wisconsin also are moving to require that Great Lakes' ship's ballast water be treated before being released to kill invasive species in ballast tanks. It's believed many foreign species in the Great lakes, including VHS, may have moved around by hitchhiking in ballast water.

Ship operators already have agreed to avoid taking in ballast from waters infested with VHS, and saltwater ships are supposed to flush their ballast tanks at sea. But it appears those efforts, and new regulations still years from taking full effect, are too late to stop VHS from spreading.

Dave Zentner, Duluth angler and natural resource activist, said he's angry that more wasn't done sooner to stop VHS and other species from moving into Lake Superior. Zentner and several local organizations were part of an effort that tried but failed to force federal agencies to act against VHS by regulating ballast water. Their lawsuit was dismissed in federal court.

"This (discovery) illustrates the utter failure of the state and federal regulatory and legal systems, especially federal, to protect our natural resources," Zentner said. "Now all we can do is try to keep it from spreading."

News Release, June 13, 2008 - VHS fish disease found in yellow perch in Milwaukee

MADISON  A week after the VHS fish disease was ruled the cause of a large round goby fish kill in Lake Michigan near Milwaukee, the same virus was detected in yellow perch collected about three miles from the fish kill site. The yellow perch were sampled as part of the Department of Natural Resources VHS surveillance project and annual spawning assessments by the Lake Michigan Fisheries Work Unit in Milwaukee.

Two Wisconsin labs, the Wisconsin Diagnostic Veterinary Laboratory in Madison and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service La Crosse Fish Health Center confirmed the presence of VHS in the yellow perch sampled on June 5 according to Sue Marcquenski, the DNR fish health specialist. DNR staff have tested yellow perch from Lake Michigan annually since 2006, anticipating that the virus would eventually make its way to this population. So far, the yellow perch do not appear to be part of a fishkill situation.

VHS, or Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, is not a human health threat, but can kill a wide range of native game fish, panfish and bait fish. It was first diagnosed in the Great Lakes region in 2005, and caused large fish kills in the lower Great Lakes in 2005 and 2006. The virus was first found in Wisconsin in May 2007 in freshwater drum from the Lake Winnebago system, and later that month in several species of fish from northern Green Bay and Lake Michigan.
DNR Fisheries Director Mike Staggs says that no immediate impact from VHS is expected to be seen in yellow perch populations. While VHS can kill fish of all ages, the biggest impact appears to be on very young fish. As a result, it could take several years before any effects show up in the population in decreased reproduction, if they show up at all.

The 2008 yellow perch season opens Monday, June 16. Staggs notes anglers should go out and enjoy their sport for the time being. Well continue to watch and study the situation, and we are well positioned to do that as part of a multi-state effort to monitor yellow perch populations and conduct research to find out what contributed to their decline, he says.

The perch VHS results are significant because perch is an important sport and commercial species, and the population in southern Lake Michigan has been depressed for about 15 years. A decade ago, to deal with the situation, DNR closed down commercial fishing for the species to protect the remaining adult fish. In addition, sport bags were trimmed, and the opening date pushed back. In recent years, the population had been stabilizing. Staggs says the findings are not surprising and do not expand the known infected waters since VHS has been previously documented in Lake Michigan. Both yellow perch and round gobies are known to be highly susceptible to VHS.

The results are also important, because they place VHS much farther south in Lake Michigan near Illinois and Indiana, and to the Mississippi River system via the Chicago ship canal, he says.

VHS has never been associated with human illness since first being discovered in European fish decades ago (DHFS, May 2007). Fish can be infected by VHS, but may not show signs of disease. Such fish are safe to eat so long as the fish is properly cooked. However, as always, you should not eat fish you find dead, decomposing, or that appear sick, regardless of cause. Decomposing fish may attract other bacteria harmful to people.

While it is generally safe to handle fish, you should always wash your hands after handling fish.

The DNR has notified neighboring states and agencies of the finding. Thousands of fish were collected from about 75 other waters in Wisconsin this spring as part of a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded VHS surveillance project. Although many results are still pending, there have not been any other VHS positive test results so far. A map showing testing results for 2008 can be found on the DNR Web site.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DNR Central Office - Madison
PO Box 7921
Madison WI 53707
Phone: (608) 266-6790 Fax: (608) 264-6293

Contact(s): Brad Eggold (414) 382-7921

7/10/08 - VHS Detected in Illinois Waters of Lake Michigan
SPRINGFIELD, IL  The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced effective July 2, emergency regulations aimed at slowing the spread of fish-killing Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) in Illinois after sampling of fish in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan detected the presence of VHS in two species of fish sampled.
For press release from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Click Here Mike Staggs (608) 267-0796
Randy Schumacher (414) 263-8672

10/7/08- Attached is WAA's letter commenting on the APHIS VHS Interim Rule 2007-0038

10/28/08 - APHIS Delays Implementing VHS Interim Rule
This has just been announced today, October 28, from USDA-APHIS

APHIS is delaying the effective date of the interim rule until January 9, 2009. APHIS received comments relating to the feasibility of the requirement in the interim rule for a visual inspection of regulated fish 72 hours prior to shipment, the provision that Interstate Certificates of Inspection allowing interstate movement of live fish will be valid for 30 days from the date of issuance, and the provision that laboratory testing is valid for 30 days from the date of sample collection for fish held in a water source that is not a secure water source. Delaying the implementation date will allow APHIS to consider all comments and make some adjustments to the interim rule that may be necessary in order to successfully implement it. Comments on the interim rule are due on or before November 10, 2008.

For more information contact:
Dr. P. Gary Egrie, Senior Staff Veterinary Medical Officer,
National Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS,
(301) 734-0695,
Paul.G.Egrie@usda.gov
or Dr. Peter L. Merrill, Senior Staff Veterinarian,
National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS,
(301) 734-8364,
Peter.Merrill@usda.gov

Follow the link below for the announcement in the Federal Register

9/11/08 - APHIS VHS Interim Rule Delayed Indefinitely
Rules and Regulations Federal Register 1

Vol. 74, No. 1
Friday, January 2, 2009
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Parts 71, 83, and 93 [Docket No. APHIS 2007 0038] RIN 0579 AC74

Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia; Interstate Movement and Import Restrictions on Certain Live Fish
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Interim rule; delay of effective date.
SUMMARY: On September 9, 2008, we published an interim rule in the Federal Register to restrict the interstate movement and importation into the United States of live fish that are susceptible to viral hemorrhagic septicemia, a highly contagious disease of certain freshwater and saltwater fish. That interim rule was scheduled to become effective on November 10, 2008. Subsequently, on October 28, 2008, we published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the delay of the effective date of the interim rule until January 9, 2009. We are now delaying the effective date of the interim rule indefinitely to provide APHIS with time to make some adjustments to the interim rule that are necessary for the rule to be successfully implemented.
DATES: The effective date for the interim rule amending 9 CFR parts 71, 83, and 93, published at 73 FR 52173 52189 on September 9, 2008, is delayed indefinitely.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. P. Gary Egrie, Senior Staff Veterinary Medical Officer, National Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 46, Riverdale, MD 20737 1231; (301) 734 0695; or Dr. Peter L. Merrill, Senior Staff Veterinarian, National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737 1231; (301) 734 8364.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) is a highly contagious disease of certain freshwater and saltwater fish, caused by a rhabdovirus. It is listed as a notifiable disease by the World Organization for Animal Health. The pathogen produces variable clinical signs in fish including lethargy, skin darkening, exophthalmia, pale gills, a distended abdomen, and external and internal hemorrhaging. The development of the disease in infected fish can result in substantial mortality. Other infected fish may not show any clinical signs or die, but may be lifelong carriers and shed the virus.
On September 9, 2008, we published an interim rule in the Federal Register (73 FR 52173 52189, Docket No. APHIS 2007 0038) to amend 9 CFR parts 71, 83, and 93 by establishing regulations to restrict the interstate movement and the importation into the United States of certain live fish species that are susceptible to VHS. We announced that the provisions of the interim rule would become effective November 10, 2008, and that we would consider all comments on the interim rule received on or before November 10, 2008, and all comments on the environmental assessment for the interim rule received on or before October 9, 2008.
Delay of Effective Date: After the publication of the interim rule, we received comments that addressed a variety of issues, including the feasibility of implementing certain requirements.
Based on our review of those comments, on October 28, 2008, we published a document in the Federal Register (73 FR 63867, Docket No. APHIS 2007 0038) announcing that we were delaying the effective date of the interim rule from November 10, 2008, until January 9, 2009, while retaining November 10, 2008 as the close of the comment period for the interim rule and October 9, 2008 as the close of the comment period for the environmental assessment.
We are now delaying the effective date of the interim rule indefinitely to provide APHIS with time to make some adjustments to the interim rule that are necessary for the rule to be successfully implemented.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301 8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
Done in Washington, DC, this 22nd day of December 2008.
Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8 31208 Filed 12 31 08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410 34 P

3/20/09 - New Federally Funded Website on VHS
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), a serious and often fatal disease of fresh and marine fish species, has been found in the Great Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada. As part of a national outreach campaign to educate the public about VHS, a new Web site  Focus on Fish Health  has been launched. The campaign and Web site are funded by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and was a collaborative effort of fisheries and aquaculture stakeholders from industry, universities, state and federal agencies and national organizations.
The Web site is designed to help boaters, anglers, aquaculture producers, and bait fish dealers learn more about the serious nature of VHS and it encourages them to take measures that will slow or prevent the spread of the disease.
While VHS has not been found in aquaculture facilities in the United States, the virus can affect commercially farmed species, so biosecurity and prevention resources for aquaculture producers are included on the Web site.
The site also serves as a clearinghouse for VHS resources. Extension specialists, educators and researchers can view the resources developed by their colleagues and download the latest information about VHS.
The Web site was developed by the Center for Food Security and Public Health at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

7/25/08 - DATCP Emergency and Permanent VHS and Fish Farm Registration Rules and Hearing Notice for Emergency The Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has prepared both a new Emergency Rule Docket No. 08-R-06 and a proposed Final Rule Docket No 07-R-01.
The previous Emergency Rule concerning Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) expired on May 28, 2008 so there was a need for a second emergency rule because the proposed permanent rule is not in effect.
The links below are to the Emergency VHS Rule, the Permanent VHS and Fish Farm Registration Rule and the Hearing Notice for the emergency rule

DATCP Board Meeting.
On the agenda at the DATCP board meeting is the final draft of the Permanent VHS and Fish Farm Registration Rule.
This meeting will be held at
Milwaukee Public Market
400 North Water Street
Milwaukee, WI
The meeting starts at 9am with public appearance starting at 10:30 am.
Please contact Karen Schultz at 608 224 5023 if you wish to appear before the board.
In January there were public hearings on the first draft of this rule. This final draft includes provisions for a type 3 fish farm registration, medically separated farms, and clarifies language pertaining to registration, bait fish, fish health certificates and language in emergency rule 2.