Whirling Disease In Colorado

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Whirling disease is an affliction that can occur in trout, salmon, and whitefish. Whirling disease is the result of an infection by the parasite Myxobolus cerebralis (M. cerebralis). Whirling disease was first documented in Germany and it is known to affect fish in several countries around the world and half of the states in the United States of America. Since the discovery of whirling disease in Colorado, biologists have been working to figure out how to eradicate or reduce the effects of devastation whirling disease causes to the fish in Colorado’s lakes and streams. Researchers are also joining the fight by looking for ways to eradicate the parasite, either during its spore stage or by manipulating the genes of fish to breed populations …show more content…

It was not a noticeable problem in Europe until rainbow trout were imported from North America because infections of M. cerebralis are generally asymptomatic in brown trout (Gilbert 2003). In Colorado, the parasite was “detected in two public and two private trout rearing facilities” (Nehring, 2006) for the first time in 1987. The trout rearing facility became contaminated with the parasite by the river water which flowed into the facility. Biologists unknowingly spread the parasite by raising infected fish and subsequently releasing them into lakes and rivers all over the …show more content…

tubifex to find out if there if a difference from one area to the next. In one sampling survey, they found that there are 4 genetically distinct lineages (Beauchamp, Kelley, Nehring and Hedrick, 2005). They are finding that some of the lineages are more resilient to M. cerebralis infections, while others are more susceptible. The ability of the specific lineage of T. tubifex to resist the M. cerebralis infection may lie in its relationship to man-made structures, the elements in the habitat, and lastly, its own population levels. Studies are being performed to see if it is possible to move resilient strains of worms to areas where there strains while are susceptible to determine if the competition of the worm communities can work out in the favor of those which are not as

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