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For Release: Tuesday, October 31, 2006

DEC Update on Status of VHS in New York State Waters

New Federal Order Issued That Restricts Interstate Transport of Live Fish

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is issuing this update on the presence of Viral Hemorrhagic Septecemia (VHS) Virus in New York State waters and a new federal order that restricts the interstate transport of certain live fish. The virus is a pathogen of fish and does not pose any threat to public health. It was first confirmed in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, and has now also been confirmed in Lake Erie and Conesus Lake.

VHS is a fish disease that causes the hemorrhaging of the fish's tissues, including internal organs. Often, fish do not exhibit any external signs of having the disease. The disease affects all sizes of fish and not all infected fish develop the disease, but can continue to carry it and spread it to others. There is no known cure for VHS. The impact of this particular strain of VHS on fish populations is uncertain. It has caused fish mortalities ranging from a few fish impacted to thousands of fish impacted.

While VHS is relatively common in continental Europe and Japan, where it affects both freshwater and marine fish, prior to 2003 the disease was limited in North America to marine species in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In 2005, a die-off of freshwater drum and round goby in Lake Ontario's Bay of Quinte (Ontario, Canada) and muskellunge in the Michigan waters of Lake St. Clair was attributed to a new strain of VHS. This is the same strain found in the infected fish in New York waters.

VHS was first confirmed in New York waters in May 2006 when it was linked to the death of round gobies and muskellunge in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. More recently, VHS caused the death of walleye in Conesus Lake. The virus has now been confirmed in round goby, burbot, smallmouth bass, muskellunge, pumpkinseed, rock bass, bluntnose minnow, emerald shiner and walleye in infected waters in New York State. To date, the virus has not been confirmed in trout and salmon from these waters and it is unknown whether this strain of VHS will impact these species.

DEC, in cooperation with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, is sampling a number of waters across the State including all waters used as sources of brood stock for DEC hatchery activities to help determine how far the disease has spread in New York. DEC is also exploring options for actions that could be taken to prevent the further spread of the disease in the State.

Due to the potential adverse effects of this disease on fish populations and the desire to prevent or delay its spread to other states, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a Federal Order on October 24, 2006, that prohibits the importation of certain species of live fish from Ontario and Quebec and interstate movement of the same species from eight states bordering the Great Lakes, effective immediately. The states included are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Fish species included in the federal prohibition are: Atlantic cod, black crappie, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, brown bullhead, brown trout, burbot, channel catfish, chinook salmon, coho salmon, chum salmon, emerald shiner, freshwater drum, gizzard shad, grayling, haddock, herring, Japanese flounder, largemouth bass, muskellunge, Pacific cod, northern pike, pink salmon, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout, redhorse sucker, rock bass, rockling, round goby, smallmouth bass, sprat, turbot, walleye, white bass, white perch, whitefish and yellow perch. Additional fish will be added to the order as they are confirmed to be carriers of this disease. Additional information on the Federal Order can be found on the APHIS website www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/aqua/ .

VHS can be spread from waterbody to waterbody through a variety of means, not all of them known at this point. One known mechanism is through the movement of fish, including bait fish. To reduce the likelihood of spreading VHS in New York State, DEC encourages anglers and boaters to abide by the following guidelines:

  • Remove all mud, aquatic plants and animals from all gear, boats, motors and trailers before leaving a body of water;
  • Drain your live well, bilge and bait tanks before leaving the fishing or boating water. Anglers or boaters using infected waters should disinfect their live wells and bait wells with a 10 percent chlorine/water solution. Rinse well to remove all residual chlorine;
  • Do not transport fish from one body of water to another. Note that this practice is illegal without a DEC fish stocking permit;
  • Only use bait fish in the waterbody it was taken from. Bait purchased commercially should not be released into any body of water; and
  • Do not dispose of fish carcasses or by-products in any body of water.

The public is advised to contact their nearest DEC regional office if they witness a large number of dead or dying fish (usually 100 or more). Questions about VHS and potential DEC actions to prevent its spread can be e-mailed to fwfish@gw.dec.state.ny.us or by calling 518-402-8896. The public is also advised to regularly check the Department website for updated information on VHS in New York State.