More than 50,000 carp have been killed by a mystery disease at lakes in South Carolina, USA.
State Officials from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources told The State.com that the fish kills were unprecedented in South Carolina. At present Common carp are the only fish affected.
Experts believe that the fish are being killed by the bacterium Flexibacter columnaris, which causes gill and skin necrosis. The disease is usually triggered by poor water quality, low oxygen levels and other stressors.
US officials are currently seeking advice from academics in the US and the UK to determine how best to tackle the problem.