spectr17
12-29-2002, 08:31 PM
LDWF
LARGEMOUTH BASS VIRUS MAY NOT BE AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS
12/23/2002
Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV) is one of over 100 known naturally-occurring fish viruses. It has been found throughout the southeastern United States, including Louisiana. However, anglers can be assured that it is not as menacing as it sounds.
Much research has been done concerning LMBV and its affect on bass populations. The disease was first identified in 1995, although it is suspected to have been around for a much longer time. LMBV is found only in fish, amphibians and insects. It has no effect on warm-blooded animals.
There are still many questions regarding this disease, and biologists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are working with researchers at several fish disease laboratories to understand where, why and how LMBV is affecting the state’s waters. In 1998 and 1999, 75 lakes across eight states, including Louisiana, were monitored for the virus. Only six locations tested positive. However, further sampling has resulted in the identification of LMBV in more state water bodies, including Henderson Lake, Atchafalaya Basin, Lake D'Arbonne, Bayou DeSiard, Vernon Lake, Bundick Lake and Cross Bayou. The presence of the virus, though, does not always mean a fish kill is imminent. A fish may carry the virus and not show any symptoms.
When fish kills do result from the virus, they always occur during the summer months (June September). There have been only three confirmed LMBV fish kills in Louisiana. They took place in Lake Bruin, Lake Concordia and False River, all during the summer of 2000. Kills that have been attributed to the disease have been very minor in comparison to fish kills from factors such as dissolved oxygen depletion. LMBV has never wiped out an entire population; generally, only a few of the larger fish in an area will succumb. The fact that it affects the popular bass species is what has attracted much attention to it.
Many anglers are concerned about whether LMBV can make fish unsafe for consumption. There are no indications that the disease can affect man or any other warm-blooded animals. Fish from LMBV infected waters are indeed safe to eat. Fishers are reminded that thorough cooking is recommended as general precaution for all foods.
Many people would like to know what is being done about LMBV. Efforts are underway to learn more about the disease, how it spreads and how to control it. The National Wild Fish Health Survey Database is being employed to delineate distribution of the virus. One specific area of research deals with discovering non-lethal methods to sample for the virus. Dr. John Hawke from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is working on a technique that would allow for samples to be taken from fin clips of bass that are caught and released.
Fishers can also help prevent the spread of the disease by taking a few precautions. They are asked to always clean their boats and equipment before moving to different bodies of water. This will help prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants, as well as LMBV. Anglers are also urged to report any sightings of dead or dying fish to LDWF as soon as possible. And fish should never be transferred between lake systems.
Mike Wood of the LDWF Inland Fisheries Division offers a possible prognosis for the disease. "There is a good chance that in the future, the virus will become a component of natural selection in the freshwater ecosystem. Animals with resistance to the virus will live and reproduce and will tend to pass on that resistance to their offspring. In this way, LMBV will likely become just another pathogen that exists in the environment but rarely causes disease."
Until that comes to pass, LMBV will continue to be a topic of research and investigation. The good news is that Louisiana’s bass fishery remains strong and healthy.
For more information, contact Mike Wood at 318/345-0797 wood_mg@wlf.state.la.us
LARGEMOUTH BASS VIRUS MAY NOT BE AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS
12/23/2002
Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV) is one of over 100 known naturally-occurring fish viruses. It has been found throughout the southeastern United States, including Louisiana. However, anglers can be assured that it is not as menacing as it sounds.
Much research has been done concerning LMBV and its affect on bass populations. The disease was first identified in 1995, although it is suspected to have been around for a much longer time. LMBV is found only in fish, amphibians and insects. It has no effect on warm-blooded animals.
There are still many questions regarding this disease, and biologists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are working with researchers at several fish disease laboratories to understand where, why and how LMBV is affecting the state’s waters. In 1998 and 1999, 75 lakes across eight states, including Louisiana, were monitored for the virus. Only six locations tested positive. However, further sampling has resulted in the identification of LMBV in more state water bodies, including Henderson Lake, Atchafalaya Basin, Lake D'Arbonne, Bayou DeSiard, Vernon Lake, Bundick Lake and Cross Bayou. The presence of the virus, though, does not always mean a fish kill is imminent. A fish may carry the virus and not show any symptoms.
When fish kills do result from the virus, they always occur during the summer months (June September). There have been only three confirmed LMBV fish kills in Louisiana. They took place in Lake Bruin, Lake Concordia and False River, all during the summer of 2000. Kills that have been attributed to the disease have been very minor in comparison to fish kills from factors such as dissolved oxygen depletion. LMBV has never wiped out an entire population; generally, only a few of the larger fish in an area will succumb. The fact that it affects the popular bass species is what has attracted much attention to it.
Many anglers are concerned about whether LMBV can make fish unsafe for consumption. There are no indications that the disease can affect man or any other warm-blooded animals. Fish from LMBV infected waters are indeed safe to eat. Fishers are reminded that thorough cooking is recommended as general precaution for all foods.
Many people would like to know what is being done about LMBV. Efforts are underway to learn more about the disease, how it spreads and how to control it. The National Wild Fish Health Survey Database is being employed to delineate distribution of the virus. One specific area of research deals with discovering non-lethal methods to sample for the virus. Dr. John Hawke from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is working on a technique that would allow for samples to be taken from fin clips of bass that are caught and released.
Fishers can also help prevent the spread of the disease by taking a few precautions. They are asked to always clean their boats and equipment before moving to different bodies of water. This will help prevent the spread of invasive aquatic plants, as well as LMBV. Anglers are also urged to report any sightings of dead or dying fish to LDWF as soon as possible. And fish should never be transferred between lake systems.
Mike Wood of the LDWF Inland Fisheries Division offers a possible prognosis for the disease. "There is a good chance that in the future, the virus will become a component of natural selection in the freshwater ecosystem. Animals with resistance to the virus will live and reproduce and will tend to pass on that resistance to their offspring. In this way, LMBV will likely become just another pathogen that exists in the environment but rarely causes disease."
Until that comes to pass, LMBV will continue to be a topic of research and investigation. The good news is that Louisiana’s bass fishery remains strong and healthy.
For more information, contact Mike Wood at 318/345-0797 wood_mg@wlf.state.la.us