Cornell researchers find fish virus in Lake Superior

Ithaca, N.Y.

-- Researchers at Cornell University have detected the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) in fish extracted from Lake Superior. The researchers tested 874 fish from seven Lake Superior sites and detected the virus, which has now been found in 28 freshwater fish species in the Great Lakes watershed.

The virus causes fatal anemia and hemorrhaging in many fish, but poses no threat to humans, according to Paul Brown, professor of aquatic animal medicine at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine. It could wreak havoc on New York’s sport-fishing industry, which contributes about $1.4 billion annually to the state’s economy, according to the Cornell.