LAKE PUEBLO, CO — CPW is urging anglers to not consume walleye caught from Lake Pueblo if they show any signs of the disease pictured. Known as myofibrogranuloma or commonly known as "Sandy Flesh disease" is a rare degenerative muscle disease.
CPW has confirmed the disease to be present in a single walleye caught last fall at Lake Pueblo State Park.
While the disease is not known to be transmissible to humans CPW is recommending that people don't eat any walleye they think could be infected. Instead, CPW is asking people to take a photo of the flesh and send it to CPW for analysis.
CPW says this is the first time that Sandy Flesh disease has been found in Colorado siting that it typically is most common in fish in the midwest particularly Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota but in recent years has spread as far west as Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and now Colorado.
While transmission and cause of the disease are unknown, you will not know a fish is infected until you begin to clean it. Areas of the inside of the fish will look semi-translucent, or yellowish brown, with knotted muscle fibers. The disease may even look granular or like mineral deposits. You can see another image of the disease picture below.
“It’s not a shock that it has reached Colorado since it occurs in so many neighboring states, but it is unfortunate,” said Carrie Tucker, CPW aquatic biologist in Pueblo. “We don’t expect it to have a big impact because it typically only shows up in a small number of older walleye.
“But it’s important that walleye anglers be aware and carefully inspect their catch when they are cleaning them. We urge anyone who finds Sandy Flesh in a fish to report it to CPW immediately and provide good, high-resolution photographs.”
If you clean your fish and discover that the disease is present do not throw the guts back into the water as it may continue to spread the disease.
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