Thursday, March 02, 2006

Chesapeake Bay Stripers Infected with Bacterial Disease

Almost three quarters of all the striped bass that are spawned in the Chesapeake Bay are now dying from an unusual bacterial disease. This bacterial disease attacks the stripers' kidneys and spleens and can even lead to ulcerous eruptions on a fish's stomach. Although no one is yet sure of what exactly is causing the outbreak, signs are pointing to mycobacteriosis, a disease that usually only affects fish in aquariums. While cases have been limited to Virginia at this point striped bass migrate great distances and the possibility of further spreading has not been ruled out. While the disease has been around for a few years now, no other species seem to be affected and the overall stock is still healthy. Virginia anglers have been encouraged to wear gloves when handling stripers because some strains of the bacteria have been linked to skin infections and swollen joints. Researchers also recommend not eating any fish with visible ulcers. The photograph to the right, courtesy of the Virginia Institute for Marine Science, shows the erupting ulcers. Please be sure to leave a comment below if you have seen or heard of any stripers with ulcers in North Carolina and the "Tell a Friend" link is a quick way to forward this info to your friends who fish for stripers along the northern NC coast. More on the striper disease is available from dailypress.com.

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