For the first time, a virus causing fish to bleed to death and believed to be responsible for killing large numbers of Great Lakes fish has been found in a Michigan inland lake, the state’s Department of Natural Resources said Thursday.
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia was detected in fish retrieved from Budd Lake in central Clare County. Since April 30, a large die-off of black crappie, bluegill and muskellunge has taken place in the 175-acre lake, the DNR said.
Captured fish tested positive for the disease, although an official cause for the Budd Lake die-off has not been determined, the agency said.
“We are disappointed that the disease has spread to Budd Lake, and clearly we are very concerned about protecting our inland waters from further spread of this virus,” DNR fisheries division chief Kelley Smith said.
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia is a fast-moving disease causing infected fish to appear listless, swim in circles or hang just below the surface. Harmless to people, the virus likely reached the Great Lakes via ships about 2002.
The disease has been found in waters ranging from northern Lake Huron to Lake Erie. In 2006, large fish die-offs caused by the disease were reported in Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario.
