MARQUETTE -- What is the fish disease Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, or VHS, and its impacts on the U.P.?
VHS is a deadly infection that can spread to most species of fish. An infected fish will tend to display bruises on its skin, fins, and eyes. It is not transferrable to humans, even if you handle or eat an infected fish.
To minimize the spreading of infection, never move fish from one body of water to another. If VHS were to spread to a body of water in the U.P., the main impacts would be to fishing businesses, recreational fishing, and tourism.
"That could be potentially devastating for the economy that is supported by fishing and fishermen. If they (the fishermen) didn't feel like there's enough fish to catch or there's not healthy fish to catch, then they might go elsewhere," said Debbie Munson Badini of the DNR.
To date, there has never been an active infection detected in the U.P., and the Department of Natural Resources plans to keep it that way.
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