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Deadly VHS virus found in Lake Superior

By ASSOCIATED PRESS Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - 10:02 p.m.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Researchers say a fatal fish virus has been found in Lake Superior for the first time, meaning it has spread to all the Great Lakes.

Cornell University scientists say they recently detected viral homorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, while testing fish from seven locations in Lake Superior.

VHS has been identified in 28 freshwater fish species within the Great Lakes watershed since 2005. It has caused large fish kills in lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron. It also has turned up in Lake Michigan.

Officials in Michigan and Wisconsin said Wednesday there was no evidence of a widespread outbreak in Lake Superior. They said the Cornell findings would not lead to any immediate changes in regulations of fishing or boating.

Both states already limit movement of bait fish to prevent VHS from spreading.

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(8)

bassman
Jan 29, 2010 at 8:50 p.m.
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I guess we will find out! eventually .

Goodboy
Jan 28, 2010 at 10:46 a.m.
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So is it deadly to humans or just fish?

bassman
Jan 28, 2010 at 7:16 a.m.
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This happens to be a "VERY" serious problem I personally have caught fish with VHS it is a horrible disease they bleed to death and rot the skin just under the scales. It is disgusting and needs to be rid of ,if people would wash their boats,clean all of the weeds off of the trailer and quit transporting minnows,it would help in the spread of this disease.In the great lakes it is mainly spread from incoming ships,they the ships introduced,Gobies,and Zebra muscles which are out of control as well.Add this with the Asian Carp and we are in big big trouble.

miltonalum
Jan 28, 2010 at 5:21 a.m.
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maybe the DNR should develop an earn-a-fish system to erradicate the VHS, or let us fish with rifles.

RUSerious
Jan 27, 2010 at 11:20 p.m.
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and you guys have been inhaling VHS fish fumes, haven't you?

jv92
Jan 27, 2010 at 10:31 p.m.
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Perhaps they should reintroduce beta to combat the spread of VHS. An HD cable box might not hurt either.

Hockeyjockey
Jan 27, 2010 at 10:11 p.m.
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They need to switch to DVD.

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