First-known freshwater contagious cancer spreading among catfish in Vermont lake - FOX Weather
Researchers have identified the first-ever transmissible cancer in a freshwater environment affecting brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog. The study suggests the malignant melanomas are spreading between fish like a contagion, prompting concerns about water quality in the lake.
Why it matters
This discovery is significant as transmissible cancers are extremely rare in nature and could have implications for both aquatic ecosystem health and human water safety.
The first-ever transmissible cancer to spread among fish in a freshwater setting has been discovered among brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog. According to a study published in the journal Nature, since 2012, these catfish have shown high rates of raised black lesions, leading researchers to investigate if the lesions were cancer that could be spread among species. CANNIBALISTIC JELLYFISH ARE INVADING THE PRECIOUS LAGOONS OF VENICE WITH NO WAY OF REMOVING THEM Lake Memphremagog is located in both Vermont and Quebec, Canada, and is a glacial lake. A study determined these raised black lesions to be malignant melanomas and observed these lesions in 23 to 37% of brown bullheads sampled between 2014 and 2017.
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