(Brookville, Ind.) – A virus is being blamed for killing hundreds, if not thousands, of carp at Brookville Reservoir.

The koi herpes virus, or 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, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday. Koi is a carp species often found in ornamental ponds.

Reports of sick and dying carp at Brookville were first reported to the department in mid-September. The first Indiana cases of the disease occurred in Elkhart and Daviess counties in 2011.

The IDNR said KHV poses no health risk to humans. There is also no evidence that native minnows and Asian carp are affected.

Anglers and boaters can help prevent the spread of KHV and invasive species by doing the following:

-Dispose of unused bait after a fishing trip rather than releasing it or saving it and using it somewhere else. 

-Drain and dry or disinfect all equipment before moving to another waterway. 

-Refrain from releasing fish caught in one body of water to another body of water.