An Ebola-like virus is killing fish in the great lakes. The disease has been found in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, The St. Lawrence Seaway,
The Niagara River and an inland lake in New York. This is a very aggressive virus which has been compared to the smallpox virus that struck Native
Americans. The USA and Canada are trying to contain the virus by restricting the transport of fish and live bait. However, MANY different species of
fish are being killed off at very high levels and there is no way to control the birds from transporting dead fish to eat.
No report on how this started. No report on if it can spread to salt water fish and our food supply (no reason why it couldn't).
And I found this story that goes along with it. Now the aquaculture is threatened. The Ebola-like virus has moved inland and is now infecting fish
farms inland. YIKES!
Now .. the question my 11 year old daughter asked this morning - the fish farms are being effected. What happens if a human eats a fish that has the
fish-ebola virus?
Can it harm humans?
Can it mutate (like the bird flu) and cause a new ebola virus in humans?
Obviously this is very capable of spreading.
I don't see how we can stop it.
Water seepage. Birds carrying fish away.
What about humans who go on The Maid of the Mist ride at Niagara Falls?
The virus is in Niagara River. What if they get sprayed with contaminated
water? The water has the virus because the boats that have been in the
water carry the virus on them from one waterway to another.