What You Should Know About Pfiesteria During the spring and
summer of 1997, there have been numerous reports from the
Delaware Bay, Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay of diseased
finfish. One type of fish skin virus, called Lymphocystis, has
been identified in Delaware. It causes reddened, bumpy skin and
sometimes a milky coating. It is not harmful to humans and many
fish recover from the problem. But it can weaken fish leading to
other infections. A second possible problem is called
Pfiesteria, a toxic marine microorganism (sometimes confused
with lymphocystis) which can cause red sores or lesions on any
fish species and can lead to sudden, large fish kills. The
organism has been active in North Carolina for several years and
may be a source of problems in other Mid-Atlantic states.
Throughout the region, the news media has paid much attention to
fish diseases, making Pfiesteria (pronounced feast-eer-ee-ah) an
almost household name. We do know in Delaware that Pfiesteria
has been identified in our Inland Bays