Trout Contaminated with Deadly Fish Virus Discovered in Lake Michigan

A dead brown trout that washed up on the shores of Lake Michigan probably died from a fatal fish virus. This is the preliminary report from Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources. A sample of the brown trout has been sent to the lab to confirm presence of the fish virus. The virus is called viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS.

VHS was first detected in New York just last year in the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers, Discovery Channel reports. The fish virus has already been confirmed as being present in nearby Lake Huron. Lake Huron connects to Lake Michigan. The virus spreads quickly and is already present in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

The United States Department of Agriculture reports that 37 different species of fish are susceptible to VHS. The virus has been found in nineteen different species of fish in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Of those fish, the virus has caused millions of fish kills in six of the fish species. The very first fish in the United States that were contaminated with VHS were salmon in the Pacific Northwest in 1988.

The deadly fish virus has affected many common fish species, including fish that are favorites of anglers. Some of the affected fish are both smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, channel catfish, rock bass, white bass, black crappie, and white perch.

Discovery Channel reports that experts are worried about the discovery of the virus in walleye in Conesus Lake. Conesus Lake is the only lake in New York not directly connected to the Great Lakes that has also been confirmed to contain the VHS virus. This fact worries animal experts because they don't know how the virus spread to Conesus Lake or how they may prevent the fish virus from spreading to other inland waters. It is suspected that the virus is spread by birds or other predators carrying infected fish. Other possibilities include infected bait or fishing equipment that has been exposed to the virus.