A virus linked to the deaths of about 220 fish at a Nevada County lake was detected in California for the first time, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said. “This is a sobering discovery given how widely distributed largemouth bass are in California, how popular they are as a sport fish and their economic importance to our rural communities,” said Jay Rowan, the agency’s fisheries branch chief, in a Thursday news release. About 220 fish, mostly largemouth bass but also some bluegill, died at Lake of the Pines in September, and tests confirmed the presence of largemouth bass virus, officials said. The virus does not pose a health risk to humans or other warm-blooded animals, the agency said.

Related:

• FOX40 (Sacramento, Calif.): Aquatic virus confirmed for the first time in California, 220 fish dead in Nevada County lake
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife​: News release: Largemouth bass virus confirmed in California for first time