Illinois is taking action to curb the spread of a fish-killing virus after the disease some people liken to a fish emboli was found recently near the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources warns Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, which has been spreading through the Great Lakes, "can kill a substantial number of fish."

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources found VHS in samples of fish involved in a fish kill of round gobies in the Milwaukee area in early June. Later tests found the virus in yellow perch.

Illinois officials tested bluegill, rock bass, round gobies, and pumpkinseed from Winthrop Harbor on Lake Michigan. Though the fish showed no signs of illness, VHS was confirmed in round gobies and rock bass.

The virus spreads through fish populations by direct contact with other infected fish, by eating infected fish, or by contact with water which contains the virus. Considered "highly contagious," the disease causes fish to bleed to death. Advanced symptoms include hemorrhages in the eyes, skin and gills.

"With the discovery of VHS in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan, we need to act immediately to try to protect our inland waters from VHS," said IDNR chief of fisheries Steve Pallo. "The urgency is amplified by the fact that a significant amount of Lake Michigan water enters the Illinois River system through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. These emergency regulations and the cooperation of anglers, boaters, and the aquaculture industry are keys to slowing the spread of VHS into other waters in Illinois."

"The threat is real as VHS can impact many species," Pallo told The Pantagraph, but, don't panic just yet. Pallo likened the situation to the earlier concern over Largemouth Bass Virus.

"Largemouth bass virus from several years ago caused some targeted mortalities of larger bass, but bass populations recovered quickly as young bass were not impacted, they survived and flourished to pre-virus populations. Hopefully that will happen with VHS also."

Zebra mussels were another concern when they first arrived in the Illinois River via the Great Lakes. They reproduced by the millions, and because they ate plankton small fish rely on, biologists worried gamefish populations would plummet and they would spread to inland lakes. But the mussels didn't affect fish in the Illinois River, the mussel population there plummeted and they didn't spread to any degree because anglers and boaters cooperated with efforts to limit them.

With VHS, anglers are told to follow some of the same procedures that provided successful with zebra mussels.

* Completely drain the boat of water when leaving a body of water. Empty bait buckets, livewells, baitwells, bilges and other compartments that hold water;

* Never take live fish susceptible to VHS from any body of water. The list of species that includes is a long one. Listed are common gamefish, such as bluegill, crappie, walleye, bass, catfish, white bass, salmon, muskies and yellow perch and baitfish, such as shad and minnows. Never transport live fish for any reason from one body of water to another.

In addition, biologists must now certify fish are VHS free before they are stocked.

IDNR also added VHS is not known to be a threat to human health. But anglers should wash hands and cook fish thoroughly.

No tournament results

Scott's gone fishing. We'll catch up on tournament results next week.

Scott Richardson is Pantagraph outdoor editor. Contact him at (309) 820-3227 or e-mail srichardson@pantagraph.com. Share stories and read past outdoor and fishing columns at www.pantagraph.com/blogs