(Provided by Indiana DNR)

A virus was responsible for a fish kill at Brookville Lake in southern Indiana this fall that killed hundreds, if not thousands, of common carp, according to the Indiana DNR.

The virus, known as koi herpes virus (KHV), showed up in examinations of carp that were collected from the lake and sent to the Purdue University Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for testing.

KHV affects common carp and koi, which is a carp species commonly stocked in ornamental ponds and widespread in the aquaculture industry. 

Related species such as goldfish and grass carp can be carriers of the virus and transmit it to susceptible fish but they do not appear to be affected by it. There is no evidence that KHV affects native minnows or Asian carp, and it poses no human health risk.

Reports of sick and dying carp at Brookville Lake were first reported to DNR in mid-September.

KHV was first found in Indiana in 2011 and attributed to fish kills in the St. Joseph River in Elkhart County and at a private lake in Daviess County.

The long-term impacts of KHV on fisheries at Brookville Lake and elsewhere around the state are unknown; however, KHV is present in most of the state and is likely to cause additional fish kills.