INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Fish owners must acquire a state-issued permit before importing fish species that are susceptible to viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) – in accord with new rules enacted by the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH).
"We don’t want to make it more burdensome for fish farmers and owners, but we do want to protect fish health," said Jennifer Strasser, DVM, aquaculture director at BOAH.
There is no fee for the permit. A list of 37 fish species are considered susceptible to VHS. The list can be found at www.aphis.usda.gov/focusonfish/species-affected.php
The state rules are intended to replace similar federal regulation that expired without much notice last June, Dr. Strasser said. A state emergency order has been in place for the interim.
In addition, VHS-susceptible fish imported from the Great Lakes region must be tested for VHS before a permit will be issued.
The Great Lakes region includes Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario and Quebec. Fish originating in Indiana do not need to be tested to move within the state.
While VHS has been reported in wild fish in the Great Lakes watershed, the disease has not been detected in fish originating from Indiana’s inland waters or in Indiana aquaculture.
"VHS is not known to exist in farmed fish. We are trying to prevent its coming into aquaculture," Dr. Strasser said.
Dr. Strasser said that she does not know if the disease is increasing in frequency. It was first found in the Great Lakes in 2005. Since then, wild fish populations there have experienced rapid die offs, including muskellunge, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie and others.
VHS was also detected in samples of walleye, white bass, and other species.
VHS is a "reportable disease," which means that it must be reported within 48 hours of diagnosis to BOAH.
The disease devastates most species of fish, with the notable exception of tilapia, Dr. Strasser said. However, it does not affect human health.
"VHS can’t replicate in the human body because the human body is warmer. It’s not a food safety or handling safety issue, but an economic concern."
Unfortunately, the only way to know if fish are positive for VHS is to lab test them. The symptoms are similar to other diseases: internal bleeding, external bleeding, fluid in the abdomen, bulging eyes, irregular swimming, and rapid die offs in populations of fish.
Considering the severity of the disease, Dr. Strasser recommended that fish buyers ask questions before purchase and hold new fish in quarantine for at least 21 days.
Important questions to ask include the following: Where were the fish hatched and raised? Are the fish routinely tested for diseases and parasites? What is the water source the fish live in?
Fish caught in the wild could be carrying diseases, so fish originally purchased from a reputable local supplier are preferred. In addition, water from a river, lake or reservoir is more likely to transmit diseases found in wild fish. Fish should live in treated city water, ground water, or well water.
Dr. Strasser believes state regulation in this area is a "positive change" for various reasons.
"We can be less stringent and look at individual cases and those with special circumstances whereas we could not before with federal rules. Our hands were tied," Dr. Strasser said.
Some programs to conserve fish species were discontinued, for instance, because they could not meet the federal guidelines.
"As long as the risk to Indiana fish is negligible, we can now make allowances for those programs," Dr. Strasser said.
With the state managing permits, BOAH can also trace fish origins more easily.
"The additional requirement allows the traceability of fish imported from other states. If a disease hits a fish population, we can more quickly trace it to its origins and stop the flow of the disease," Dr. Strasser said.
"This is something cattle and swine have been doing for years and years."
Requirements for bringing live fish into Indiana can be found online at www.in.gov/boah/2387.htm
