Virus found in California for first time after 220 fish die at Nevada County lake
A virus linked to the deaths of about 220 fish at a Nevada County lake was detected in California for the first time, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said. “This is a sobering discovery given how widely distributed largemouth bass are in California, how popular they are as a sport fish and their economic importance to our rural communities,” said Jay Rowan, the agency's fisheries branch chief, in a Thursday news release. About 220 fish, mostly largemouth bass but also some bluegill, died at Lake of the Pines in September, and tests confirmed the presence of largemouth bass virus, officials said. The virus does not pose a health risk to humans or other warm-blooded animals, the agency said. Officials had not determined how the virus reached the lake. The virus can be introduced “from contaminated equipment, infected baitfish, stocking infected largemouth bass and introducing other carrier species that are infected.” The virus poses no health risks to people who eat infected fish or swim in or drink infected water, the agency said. The agency urged residents to help prevent the virus from spreading by avoiding the transfer of fish between bodies of water and cleaning, draining and drying
