DEC confirms virus as cause of fishkill in Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River

NEW YORK - Scientists say a fish virus transplanted from Europe is responsible for the deaths of thousands of round gobies in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River and could threaten other species in the Great Lakes.

The discovery of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, or VHS, however, poses no threat to public health, said Maureen Wren, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

DEC scientists are working closely with fish pathologists at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine to determine if other fish species in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River are susceptible to this strain of VHS, as well as which species may act as carriers of the disease.

To date, there is no indication that the strain of VHS identified in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River is affecting trout and salmon species, the region's' two largest sport species.

Source: NewsDay