Interesting Facts

• Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia was first discovered in fish in the Europe during
  1930's. This means that the virus is relatively new, being that fish farmers
  would have likely discovered the disease if it had persisted earlier as fishing
  has been going on for many years.
• The strain of VHS that has migrated to the America's is a different form of
  VHS, showing that VHS can mutate to fit it's environment.
• The virus replicates at temperatures ranging from 2-15°C. This means that the virus cannot live in humans or other warm blooded animals. The prime temperature for VHS replication is at 6-9°C.
• While sometimes a fish may show an outward appearance of being infected by VHS, many times the symptoms can be only internal for many weeks. The lack of signs of infection is part of what makes this disease so easily spread. Bait fish used by fishermen, appearing perfectly healthy, can distribute the disease to a new water system.
• Although it may be safe for humans to come into contact with VHS, care should still be taken around fish that appear to have an infection. Some of the symptoms that are present in fish infected with VHS are also present in fish with other diseases and infections, some of which are contractible by humans.
• The VHS virus has been found to remain active after a period of roughly a month in freshwater at 4°C, and for up to a year if that water is filtered.
• Because the virus cannot penetrate the eggs of fish, fish eggs in hatcheries and fish farms are sprayed with disinfectants once they are laid. This has been shown to be extremely effective at eliminating the virus from subsequent generations.

 Overall, this organism is interesting simply due to the fact that it has been able to mutate it's genome significantly, travel the globe, and infect vast populations of fish, all within the span of a few generations. The impact that fish have on the global economy and humans in general is huge, and so for a virus of this caliber to be present on such a huge scale is as much disturbing as it is awe-inspiring. As a whole, this virus is as much an obstacle as it is an opportunity. The knowledge that can be gained from such a successful virus would invaluable, be it new strategies for fighting other viruses, new medicine to treat various diseases, or simply new treatments for other non-disease related problems, such as genetic disorders. The possibilities with viruses are endless.

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