Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia VHS

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• Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)
• Natural Resources Commission Update

Gary Whelan Fisheries Division February 8, 2007
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What is VHS?

• Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Rhabdovirus
• Four known isolates
• 3 European
• 1 North American
• Causes large scale hemorrhaging in internal
  organs and osmotic regulation failure
• Large scale mortalities seen
• In rainbow trout and turbot in Europe
• In Pacific herring in Puget Sound, WA
• Not a human pathogen

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VHS in the Great Lakes

• First confirmed in Lake Ontario in Spring 2005 in
  freshwater drum
• Fall 2005 Confirmed in Lake St. Clair muskies
• Confirmed as VHS Isolate IVb
• Spring 2006
• Large scale mortalities
• Muskies Lake St. Clair
• Freshwater Drum Lake Erie
• Yellow Perch Lake Erie
• Round Gobies Lake Ontario
• Found in 15 species

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VHS in the Great Lakes

• Fall 2006
• Walleye and lake whitefish from Lake Huron
  Thunder Bay fish kill
• Chinook salmon Swan River Weir
• Routine fish health screening
• Archived Fall 2005 lake whitefish sample from
  Lake Huron Cheboygan
• Confirmed VHS positive
• By Fall, found in 17 species
• Likely arrived around 2002 via ballast water from
  the Maritime Provinces
• Archived 2003 Lake St. Clair muskie sample

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Great Lakes Distribution of VHS
10-20 Years
1-2 Years
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Federal VHS Regulatory Actions

• VHS is a OIE reportable disease
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal Plant
  Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS)
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
• USDA-APHIS Actions
• Issued Emergency Order - October 24, 2006
• Meeting with Affected Parties October 31 and
  November 1, 2006
• Amended Emergency Order November 14, 2006
• Interim Rule - Pending

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DNR VHS Actions

• Active participant at state, regional and federal
  levels
• Meeting with constituent groups (i.e. bait
  industry)
• Great Lakes Fishery Commission
• Great Lakes Fish Health Committee (GLFHC)
• USDA-APHIS
• Interim Rule development
• Bi-National VHS Surveillance Plan
• GLFHC developed a set of 39 VHS management
  recommendations
• Accepted by Council of Lake Committees October
  16, 2006

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DNR VHS Actions

• Working to implement all possible GLFHC
  recommendations
• Recommendations are designed to contain and slow
  the spread of the pathogen
• Provide time to protect key broodstocks
• Provide time to prepare for pathogens arrival
• Allow additional research to be done on
  susceptibility and transmission

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DNR VHS Actions

• Pathogen Testing
• Fish Culture
• Member agency and non-member agency facilities
• Range from broodstock collection and testing to
  managing outbreaks
• Fish Transfers
• All transfers must be tested
• Other Management Actions Disinfection
• Commercial Fishing
• Testing and movement of positive fish in live
  trade
• Waste Disposal

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DNR VHS Actions

• Bait Industry
• Testing
• Movement and sale of positive bait
• Public Information
• Increasing public knowledge
• Obtaining their assistance in preventing spread
  of the virus
• Other measures
• Research proposal development
• Ballast water controls
• Use of untreated water

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Questions? Comments?
Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Outdoors

• www.michigan.gov/dnr