Ohio VHS Detection
VHS detected in Clearfork Reservoir Muskellunge
The first Ohio case of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) outside of the Lake Erie drainage was detected by the ODNR, Division of Wildlife and the USFWS disease lab in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Ovarian fluid samples, routinely collected in April to test for VHS, were determined to be positive from muskellunge sampled at Clearfork Reservoir, near Mansfield, Ohio. VHS has not caused a fish kill in Clearfork
Reservoir, nor is it expected to, and does not pose a threat to humans. Clearfork Reservoir fish are safe to eat and contact with the water does not pose a health risk.
The source of VHS transmission to Clearfork Reservoir is presently unknown.
To prevent the spread of VHS to other waters in Ohio, anglers and boaters are advised to: 1) not move live fish from Clearfork Reservoir to other waters, and 2) drain water from live wells, bait buckets, coolers, and boat engines before leaving Clearfork Reservoir.
VHS is a viral disease that was first detected in the Great Lakes in 2003 and was responsible for a freshwater drum die-off in Western Lake Erie during 2006.
The virus has not been detected in samples from other lakes or in the Ohio River during testing routinely conducted since 2006. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources and The Ohio Department of Agriculture will be assessing implications as additional information is obtained.
For additional information, contact:
Ray Petering 614-580-7665
Elmer Heyob 614-265-6347