New Emergency Regulations to Stop Spread of Fish Virus

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced on July 2, 2008, that they had begun undertake some emergency regulations to stop the spread of a fish virus recently detected in fish samples in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan. The fish virus, they also reported was "no threat to human health."

The Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia or VHS virus, "is a disease of fish caused by an aquatic virus previously unidentified in the Midwest," according to their press release that day.

They report that while it does not affect humans, VHS can kill a substantial number of fish and has been spreading throughout the Great Lakes regions.

The new regulations they are implementing that will now impact anglers, boaters, and aquaculture, "are immediate and appropriate steps in trying to slow the spread of this dangerous aquatic virus" according to Sam Flood, IDNRÕs acting director who was cited in the press release.

He added that since sport fishing and boating are both very popular and important to the Illinois economy, the cooperation of anglers and boaters is essential to combating the VHS fish virus.

Though the virus is not know to be a threat to human health, anglers are advised "to wash their hands after handling fish and to cook thoroughly any fish they plan to eat."

Protective gloves should also be worn if handling dead fish or fish that appear to be diseased, they added.

The IDNR also reported that they will continue their surveillance program of the virus and that fish produced at state hatcheries will be tested before they are stocked into Illinois waters.

All fish eggs and imports of fish they stated "will also be disinfected and tested prior to import to ensure that the virus does not jeopardized operation of the state fish hatchery system."

For more information on the VHS fish virus and the new Illinois regulations, go to the IDNR website.