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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Contacts: Kelley Smith 517-373-3375, Gary Whelan 517-373-6948 or Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014
Department of Natural Resources Confirms Spread
of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) in Great Lakes
Recent analyses of fish sampled from northern Lake Huron have confirmed the existence of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) in lake whitefish, walleyes and Chinook salmon, Department of Natural Resources fisheries officials announced today. VHS is a virus that causes disease in fish but does not pose any threat to public health.
The analyses that were completed earlier this week establish that VHS has now been confirmed in lake whitefish samples from the Cheboygan area, in lake whitefish and walleye samples from the Thunder Bay area, and in Chinook salmon samples from the Swan River egg-take station near Rogers City.
“The continuing march of VHS through the waters of the Great Lakes is a major challenge to our agency and our management options,” said DNR Director Rebecca A. Humphries. “These new discoveries are extremely unfortunate and further highlight the problems created by the constant introductions of new diseases from outside of the Great Lakes region, the speed with which they can spread, and the threat that such pathogens pose to our natural resources.”
VHS was detected in lake whitefish from the Cheboygan area after re-analyzing samples collected in 2005 during a survey for bacterial kidney disease (BKD).
“It is not unusual for us to collect fish that have unknown viruses, which typically require a significant effort to properly identify,” said Gary Whelan, fish production manager for the DNR. “Once we had indications of VHS in other samples of fish from Lake Huron, this sample was retrieved from storage and fully analyzed by Dr. Mohamed Faisal at Michigan State University.”
Samples from the Thunder Bay area were collected last fall during a mortality event that included lake whitefish and walleyes.
“At the time, we suspected that the cause of the mortality might be related to VHS,” said Kelley Smith, chief of the DNR Fisheries Division. “Because the fish were so badly decomposed, however, it is still not certain that VHS caused these fish to die since botulism was also a possible cause. But given the detection of VHS and the fact that the mortality occurred during the spawning season both implicate VHS as the probable cause of death of these fish.”
A number of Chinook salmon observed at the Swan River egg-take station last fall also showed signs of VHS infection, Whelan said. A standard fish health inspection that is annually conducted by the DNR Fisheries Division on this key broodstock did document VHS in both female and male fish, including one fish exhibiting clinical signs of VHS. Standard methods for disinfecting the eggs were applied last fall at the egg-take station prior to transfer of the eggs to the state’s hatchery facilities. To date, all lots of Chinook salmon hatched from these eggs and being reared in DNR hatchery facilities have been tested and all are negative for VHS, which is attributable to the disinfection methods that have been employed at all the DNR’s egg-take stations for many years.
“This shows that our standard disinfection procedures, similar to those used on the West Coast where VHS has been found for a long time, were effective in protecting our hatcheries and the fish reared in those hatcheries,” Whelan said.
DNR officials have been in contact with personnel in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, alerting them to the new confirmations of VHS in Lake Huron fish, and outlining the steps being taken by the DNR in response to this new information.
“In the continued battle to slow the spread of VHS throughout the Great Lakes, we must remain vigilant, take every precaution, and implement all options available to us,” Smith said.
Those actions include:
* Reclassification of Michigan’s waters of Lake Huron, including Saginaw Bay, as a VHS Positive Management Area. In addition to Lake Huron, the management area encompasses the state’s waters of the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River and Lake Erie.
* Reclassification of Michigan’s waters of the St. Marys River from the Soo Locks to Lake Huron and all of Lake Michigan as a VHS Surveillance Management Area.
* Sampling efforts for several fish species, including walleyes, emerald shiners and lake whitefish will be significantly increased in the new VHS Surveillance Management Area.
* Additional testing of all lots of Chinook salmon in the state’s hatchery facilities that originated from eggs collected at the Swan River weir will be conducted prior to stocking those fish in the state’s waters.
* A prohibition on the trap and transfer of live fish that are collected from the state’s waters of the Great Lakes for management purposes unless the fish have tested negative for VHS.
* Increased efforts to inform anglers and others about the dangers of VHS, especially to inland waters of the state. Anglers are asked not to move live fish between the Great Lakes and inland waters, particularly minnow species, and to use standard disinfection techniques for boats, live wells and other equipment. See www.michigan.gov/dnrfishing for more information on helping prevent the spread of disease and invasive species on the Great Lakes.
Citizens are encouraged to report sick fish or fish kills to their local DNR office or use the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr. Anglers should contact the DNR if they observe fish that exhibit any of the following signs: hemorrhaging in the skin, including large red patches particularly on the sides and anterior portion of the head; multiple hemorrhages on the liver, spleen, or intestines; or hemorrhages on the swim bladder that give the otherwise transparent organ a mottled appearance. This information will help DNR fisheries staff to track VHS and take appropriate management actions to help slow the spread of this virus.
Anglers and boaters can also help prevent the spread of VHS and other viruses or bacteria that cause disease in fish by not transferring fish between water bodies, and by thoroughly cleaning boats, trailers, nets, and other equipment when traveling between different lakes and streams. The use of a light disinfectant such as a solution of one part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water (i.e., one gallon of bleach to 10 gallons of water) to clean vessels and live wells is very effective against VHS and other viruses and bacteria that cause disease in fish. Soaking exposed items such as live wells, nets, anchors, and bait buckets in a light disinfectant for 30 minutes is also an effective method to prevent the spread of a wide range of aquatic nuisance species.
In 2005, VHS was detected for the first time in Great Lakes fish species in the US and Canada, including muskellunge in Michigan’s waters of Lake St. Clair and freshwater drum in Lake Ontario. It is not known how VHS was transferred to the Great Lakes region or how long it has been in the waterways of the Great Lakes.
The DNR is committed to conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations. | |
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| Stayed tuned. Our beloved Lake michigan is next. | |
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | guest - 1/25/2007 4:49 PM
Stayed tuned. Our beloved Lake michigan is next.
I'm afraid your right guest. This disease is more aggressive to cold water species like salmon and trout. The good news is they have a disinfectant for this disease that's applied to the eggs taken for brood stock for salmon and trout. The bad news for walleyes in Lake Huron all the way to Lake Erie, is they do not have (as of yet) a viable disinfectant formula that will cure them in their egg stage or any other stage. And if this disease is just starting, we may not have yet seen what true impact it might have. And like the zebra mussel, it just a matter of time before every body of water is infected. our only hope is that the fish out lasts the diseases life cycle or become amune to it on their own. Anybody looking for an old but well kept up charterboat? 
Edited by walleye express 1/25/2007 7:49 PM
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the DEC (our DNR) has checked Emerald Shinners form Dunkirk Harbor in Lake Erie that were stored for 2 years. The test were positive for VHS. So its been in Erie for at least 2 years. I have also heard that another test on a minnow population that head been seperated form Erie for 4 years also had VHS. At a meeting the DEC says fish don't always die, but they can carry the virus for life and may have problems in times of high stress.
Bob | |
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | catchumbob - 1/26/2007 1:09 AM
the DEC (our DNR) has checked Emerald Shinners form Dunkirk Harbor in Lake Erie that were stored for 2 years. The test were positive for VHS. So its been in Erie for at least 2 years. I have also heard that another test on a minnow population that head been seperated form Erie for 4 years also had VHS. At a meeting the DEC says fish don't always die, but they can carry the virus for life and may have problems in times of high stress.
Bob
Bob.
I pray your right for all our sakes that this disease is a bad as it's going to get at this stage. | |
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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | A Couple of things I did this morning. Got a call from a Bay City Times reporter asking me my opinion and concerns about VHS. As per my usual demenor, I told him exactly what I think and my concerns about the disease. I'm guessing he will only print the points I made rationally and leave out my political rants over this issue. But I made some good points and served our side of the issue well I think.
I then went on-line and found where you could write the Governor concerning issues you wanted her to address or look into. Below is the link to where Mich residents can add their voices and concerns, as well as exactly what I wrote to her. I urge all of you that live in States that are part of the Great Lakes Counsil of Govenors to find and write your Govenors about this issue. It's become to serious not to.
https://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-35316-65315--SS,00.html
Dear Governor Grandholm.
The DNR has recently confirmed that we have VHS contamination in Lake Huron. This disease, unlike the other forms of invasive transplants we've endured these last 15 years is in a fish Virus form, and has the potential to devistate our multi million dollar fishery. It's time to get tough on this issue, and stop the 55 million dollar a year trade these foreign freighters bring in and concentrate on the 100+ millions we would lose if this practice continues. Our State it seems has not enjoyed the economic boom going on in the others. Our Natural Resources is the one steady thing that keeps people coming here and what keeps whats left of our fragil economy alive. Please get together with the Counsil of Great Lakes Govenors and do something about this NOW, for the sake of this State and the heritage we leave to our children. | |
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Member
Posts: 300
Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | The only way to stop diseases like VHS and invasive species is to stop it at the source. Untreated ballast water. Every fisherman should contact their state and federal represenatives to have legislation similar to Michigan's new ballast water requirements implemented on a state and federal level. Michigan's requirements are useless until every state or the feds get on board. Michigan's legislation stops ships without a treatment system from docking at a Michigan port, but until we require the treatment system to enter any U.S. waters at all, it's a losing battle.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(wu2jcr55uxfzaq45fyqzdk45))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectname=2005-SB-0332
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/news/2006/dec20.html
The actual regulation
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2005-2006/publicact/htm/200...
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Bad News, Questionable Prognosis.