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| COURTESY PHOTO A DYING largemouth bass is pulled out a southern waters, after having contracted the Largemouth Bass Virus. |
The prognosis for the surrounding water bodies in the state looks good as well, with further testing in those areas showing no presence of the virus.
Detection of the virus came about when Fish and Game was conducting a tagging program through local fishing tournaments. The idea was to determine the migration patterns of Winnipesaukee's fish.
Test results from a sampling of the fish revealed the presence of the Largemouth Bass Virus, or LMBV. It is a virus that can prove fatal to infected fish and had been seen only in the southern states prior to this. In fact, Fish and Game Pathologist Dr. Joel Bader said the presence of LMBV in Lake Winnipesaukee is one of the northernmost outbreaks the country has seen since the virus was discovered in 1996.
"The possibility is there to lose the older, nicer largemouth bass," said Bader.