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USSFN 10/06/03 - Sometimes things aren’t quite as bad as they seem. Such is the case with the Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV). Fisheries biologists were very concerned when the virus was first implicated in bass die-offs in several southeastern states in 1995, but since then more has been learned about the disease.

Bass populations have proven resilient. To date, there is no evidence that LMBV has caused a long term, major impact on any fishery. In Oklahoma, Lake Tenkiller experienced a bass die off due to LMBV in 2000, but natural spawning and recruitment of young fish continues to build the bass population toward recovery.

“Of course we’re concerned when any number of fish show up dead in a lake,” said Greg Summers, Oklahoma Fisheries Research Laboratory supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation “But, the fish appear to be developing antibodies (natural resistance) to the virus. Subsequently, there have been no repeat die-offs in any lake in the United States.”

Fisheries biologists are currently looking into a new case of LMBV at Wes Watkins Lake in central Oklahoma where reports of dead bass were received by the ODWC. Samples of bass were collected and sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pinetop Fish Health Center in Arizona for analysis. Results verified the virus was present in the samples, making Wes Watkins Lake the first confirmed LMBV fish kill since Lake Tenkiller in 2000. The good news is that there have been no recent reports of dead or dying bass at the lake.

Not all bass that have the virus die from the disease. In fact, most bass that carry LMBV appear completely normal. Where the virus has triggered the fatal disease, dying fish often swim near the surface and have trouble remaining upright. LMBV appears to attack the swim bladder causing bass to lose equilibrium.

"We're learning more and more about LMBV everyday, however there's still many unanswered questions," said Kim Erickson, fisheries chief for the Wildlife Department. "We will continue to keep a close eye on this situation at Wes Watkins Lake and we will investigate any reports of dead or dying fish at any other Oklahoma reservoir.”

Erickson added that biologists continue to aggressively monitor the status of LMBV throughout Oklahoma. Wes Watkins Lake will be sampled by electrofishing again next spring to determine the status of the bass population.

LMBV affects only cold-blooded animals. Researchers have found it in other bass and sunfish species like crappie, but most fatalities have occurred in largemouth bass. LMBV is not known to infect warm-blooded animals, including humans. Fish infected with the virus are safe to eat when properly cooked.

Source: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife