Apr. 5—Colorado Parks and Wildlife has found an infected freshwater fish that marks the first-ever case of “Sandy Flesh disease” in the state.
Scientists recently determined that a walleye caught in Lake Pueblo last fall was infected with sandy flesh, a rare degenerative muscle disease that has spread west from other states. Only a handful of cases are reported each year in areas where it typically occurs, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Bill Vogrin.
“We don’t expect to see a lot of infected fish, but it’s important for us to alert the public,” Vogrin said. “This is incredibly rare.”
Sandy flesh disease, also known as myofibrogranuloma, is not known to be transmittable to humans, but CPW recommends people avoid eating fish that may be infected.
Anglers should call CPW to report a fish suspected to have the disease and submit photographs for analysis by aquatic biologists. Entrails should be thrown away or buried, not thrown back into the lake.
Sandy flesh disease causes a semi-translucent, or yellow-brown, appearance inside a fish, with knotted muscle fibers that would be discovered while cleaning. The disease may look granular with mineral deposits, or even opaque, according to CPW, but it wouldn’t change the external appearance of a fish.
The disease is known to affect older walleye, although there have been a few cases of infected yellow perch, according to CPW. “It’s important that walleye anglers be aware and carefully inspect their catch when they are cleaning them,” said Carrie Tucker, CPW aquatic biologist in Pueblo.
“It’s not a shock that it has reached Colorado since it occurs in so many neighboring states, but it is unfortunate,” Tucker said.
Source: Yahoo News
