Wisconsin testing 70 lakes, rivers for fish virus

April 2009

U.S. Water News Online

MADISON, Wis. —The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is testing more than 70 state lakes and rivers for a deadly fish virus.

It's also expanding efforts to look at susceptible species in the Lake Winnebago system.

Fisheries expert Mike Staggs says testing didn't find the disease in any new waters a year ago. He attributed it to cooperation among boaters, anglers, bait harvesters and fish farmers.

The state discovered viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, in the Lake Winnebago chain in 2007. Since then, the agency has adopted rules that prohibit anglers from moving live fish off the water.

VHS is not a human health threat but it can infect 37 different fish species. It's been found in Lake Michigan. The virus has caused big fish kills in other Great Lakes waters.

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