VHS in the Great Lakes and what this means for Idaho - What's Happening

							VHS in the Great
Lakes and what
 this means for
      Idaho
Keith Johnson, Doug Burton, and Doug
               Munson
 Eagle Fish Health Laboratory, IDFG
    Why should Idaho be concerned?
   16 of Idaho sport fish are susceptible,
    including trout, salmon, bass, crappie,
    perch, walleye, and forage species
   Commercial trout industry is concerned
   Vectors exist that could bring it to Idaho
    20 years of surveillance in Idaho has
    been negative
  Viral hemorrhagic septicemia is the most
 serious disease of cultured fish worldwide
 Untreatable viral disease

 VHS is an “emergency, notifiable”
   disease by the World Animal Health
   Organization, USDA Animal and Plant
   Health Inspection Service, and Idaho
   Department of Agriculture
 Detection of VHSV requires Destruction
   of the stock and Disinfection
 VHS does not infect humans
Herring   Rainbow trout   Walleye
           Disease Signs of VHSV
Hemorrhagic: Causes leaking of blood from
vessels under the skin and in internal organs

Septicemia: Virus in blood and spreads
throughout the body in circulation

Pop eye: Caused by pressure of hemorrhage
pushing beneath the eye

But: Disease Signs are not always present
        How bad can it get?
   2006 Freshwater Drum mortality in
    Lake Erie totaled millions of pounds
   “Windrows of fish” along the beach
    piled up 10’ wide and 4’ high
   Detected only from wild stocks-no
    hatchery stocks infected yet
   Predators are infected from infected
    forage species
          Current VHS Outbreaks:2007
                                                          St. Lawrence R.
                                       Lake Huron

                  Budd Lake*                        Lake Ontario

Lake Winnebago*


      Lake Michigan



                      Lake St. Clair                         Conesus Lake*

                                             Lake Erie



                                       Summer, 2007 NYDEC Surveillance
VHS Susceptible Freshwater Species
        (revised Nov, 2007)
    Black Crappie         Pike
    Bluegill              Pumpkinseed
    Bluntnose Minnow      Rainbow Trout
    Brown Bullhead        Rock Bass
    Brown Trout           Round Goby
    Burbot                Shorthead Redhorse
    Channel catfish       Silver Redhorse
    Chinook Salmon        Smallmouth Bass
    Emerald Shiner        Spottail Shiner
    Freshwater Drum       Walleye
    Gizzard Shad          White Bass
    Lake Whitefish        White Perch
    Largemouth Bass       Yellow Perch
    Muskellunge
Genetic Differences in North
  American VHS Isolates

                     Coastal virus hosts are
                     marine baitfish like
                     herring and anchovies,
                     some predators

    3.7%-5%          Great Lakes hosts are
                     baitfish and wide variety
              2.1%   of predators

                     Genetic analysis shows
                     Great Lakes VHS has an
                     East Coast origin
         Great Lakes VHS
    How did it get into the Great
        Lakes ecosystem?
   Possibilities
       By movement of infected fish
       Sport fishing (bait minnows, contaminated
        fishing equipment, contaminated live well
        water, illegal fish stocking)
       Boating
       Commercial Ballast Water
       Basically – We don’t know how it got here
        VHS Vectors for IDAHO

    Movement of infected live fish, including
    baitfish is a proven vector
   VHS virus persists in frozen fish so frozen
    baitfish are a potential vector for Idaho
   Great Lakes VHS virus survives for a
    month in freshwater outside of a fish
        Federal Order by APHIS
   VHS Federal Order was issued in October,
    2006

   Emergency Action taken to prevent the
    spread of VHS

   Must be followed-up by formal rulemaking
    expected soon- winter, 2008
        Current Provisions Under the
        APHIS Federal Order for VHS
   VHS susceptible species are prohibited
    from moving out of the 8 States and 2
    Canadian Provinces bordering the Great
    Lakes except under certain conditions:
       Movement to slaughter or research and
        diagnostic labs with adequate disinfection

       Movement of live fish testing negative for
        VHSV by laboratory assays

       Movement of salmonids from Canada that meet
        USFWS Title 50 inspection requirements
     Implications of VHS for Idaho
   20 years surveillance has been negative
    in cultured and wild fish
   Idaho sport fishing valued at $360 million
   Trout industry valued at $110 million at risk
   ESA-listed anadromous salmon-would these
    be destroyed if positive (?)
   IDFG, ISDA, USFWS, USDA APHIS,
    commercial aquaculture, and tribal programs
    need to work cooperatively to prevent
    introduction
    What has IDFG done to reduce
      the risk of introduction?
   Live fish for bait prohibited (1938)
   Banned importation of all live fish and frozen
    baitfish from Great Lakes Basin
   Supported APHIS Federal Order
   Partnering with Idaho Department of
    Agriculture and trout industry
   Import permits of all fish are required from
    ISDA and IDFG
   Imports allowed only from inspected sources
   2008 IDFG Fishing Rules prohibit use of live
    aquatic baits
      ISDA Emergency Rule
 Issued Sept 1, 2007
 All imported fish and eggs require
  negative inspection results for
  reportable viruses, including VHS
 Import permits required from IDFG &
  ISDA
 Inspections of imports for disease
  and permits is provided by ISDA &
  IDFG rules
       Captive Wildlife Rules of Idaho
    Provide for IDFG & ISDA Cooperation
   Import of live fish permitted by ISDA &
    IDFG
   Releases must be approved by IDFG
    IDAPA 13.01.11.101 and I.C. 36-7
   Inspection for disease and genetic traits of
    private pond fish (IDAPA 13.01.10.101.04
    & 02.04.21.660) both by IDFG and ISDA
   Records of sales of fish retained for 3
    years (I.C. 22-4602) for traceback
        What more can be done?
   Minimize Risks of potential vectors:
       Private ponds: require virus inspection of all suppliers
       Importations of live fish must exclude baitfish
       Aquatic baits other than fish

   Education of anglers to reduce risks

   Support ISDA on Emergency Import Rule

   Enforcement of existing import and release rules

   Idaho Fish Health and Sterility Management Policy
    addresses details of import, transport, and release to public
    waters and private ponds