University of Wisconsin–Madison

Wisconsin sport fish carry suite of new viruses

Transcript

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have detected a suite of new viruses in five species of Wisconsin sport fish. Although none pose a threat to human health, one is a type of coronavirus that’s usually associated with birds. It was found in healthy walleyes from Wisconsin lakes. The finding is part of a Wisconsin Sea Grant-funded study by Tony Goldberg, a professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, of the natural diversity of viruses of fish in Wisconsin and is the first project of its kind in North America.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries technicians collect trout from a creek near Viroqua, Wisconsin. Image credit: Bryce Richter, UW-Madison
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries technicians collect trout from a creek near Viroqua, Wisconsin. Image credit: Bryce Richter, UW-Madison
a person taking a blood sample from a brown trout.
Tony Goldberg takes a blood sample in a non-lethal way from a brown trout caught near Wauzeka, Wisconsin, while Whitney Theil observes. The fish was collected by DNR staff members to test for emerging diseases in the fish population. Image credit: Bryce Richter, UW-Madison

Thanks to our guest

Tony Goldberg, University of Wisconsin-Madison