Revealed: the deadly invader that is bleeding Great Lakes fish to death

[babylonsister]

Why haven't I seen this from a US paper, or is it old news?

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/article2516746.ece


Revealed: the deadly invader that is bleeding Great Lakes fish to death
Aggressive virus brought in by ships devastates freshwater species - and could spread across the continent
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Published: 06 May 2007

Tens of thousands of fish have been bleeding to death from an aggressive Ebola-like virus in North America's Great Lakes. Officials fear that the plague will spread to devastate waters across the continent.

The epidemic - caused by what one US government scientist calls "the most important and dangerous fish virus known worldwide" - is believed to have been brought into the lakes by ocean-going ships.

It is focussing attention on the scores of alien species already spreading uncontrolled in the lakes, which contain a fifth of the world's fresh water. State governments are belatedly trying to introduce measures to control this "living pollution", only to be sued by shipping companies for "placing an undue burden" on them.

The killer - called viral haemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) - has already affected some 37 species of fish in the lakes, including salmon, trout, perch and white bass. Almost every species caught commercially or for sport in the lakes' $4bn (£2bn) fishing business has been hit.

Victims bloat up and bleed from bulging eyes before dying. The extraordinarily virulent disease is sweeping rapidly through the lakes and is expected to start going on full rampage again within the next couple of weeks when the water warms up to its favoured temperature.

more...

[Dogmudgeon]

1. VHS? We can switch to Beta.

Gottta break the tension ... there is just too much bad biological news lately.

--p!

[Eurobabe]

3. The plague of locusts are coming this summer

no doubt.

[acmavm]

2. You won't hear about that in an American media outlet. Never. Because

then people might expect the god damn government to f**king do something about it.

[Forkboy]

4. Everythings breaking down

Happy times ahead...

[msongs]

5. sorry, don't eat fish, they are too toxic in most cases nt

[ret5hd]

6. i mean really, you are aware of a concept called "food chain", right?

or is it a case of "if it doesn't affect copyright law, i don't care"?

[CrispyQ]

7. What you do to one, you do to all.

We're fucked.

[1776Forever]

8. When you think it can't get worse - it does!

Honey bees disappearing -

Pets dying -

Medicine poisoned -

Human food supply in danger -

Now fish being killed in the U.S. by virus brought in from ships -

I don't even want to know what is next! And all the Rebup's can see is Iraq -

Yeah let's spend another Trillion and make the CEO's more millions! And while we're at it let's borrow another billion from China that is making TRILLIONS off our debt!

Yea - that's the ticket! :sarcasm: :rant:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

10. America's answer to all this?? Make war, create division,

create hatred, hoard natural resources, (yours or theirs) forget to support your own hurricane/tornado ravaged citizens and pretend that you are looking out for the general public while you fritter away their great grandchildrens' inheritance away. America certainly has a whole hell of a lot of soul searching to do. Let the search begin.

[Blue Diadem]

9. I've heard about it a couple times, most recently last week on our local news.

I suppose we hear about it due to our location. I know they interviewed a charter business and they said they didn't like the publicity because it'd scare away their business.

After that, I spoke with my son about it. He works part-time on a charter boat and they've all heard about it but haven't seen it yet.

The news said "they" claim it's not something that will pass to humans..

:scared: