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Deep in This Lake, a Contagious Cancer Is Spreading
The New York Times • • science
Key Points:
- Since 2012, brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog, located on the Vermont-Quebec border, have been found with velvety black skin growths identified as melanomas or skin cancer.
- Over a third of the bullhead catfish population in the lake is affected by this rare form of cancer, which researchers now believe is contagious and spreading through the water.
- The cancer likely originated from a single catfish tumor that released cancer cells into the lake, infecting other fish and creating an outbreak.
- Contagious cancers are extremely rare but have been documented in a few species such as dogs, Tasmanian devils, and some shellfish, raising questions about cancer's role in evolution and species development.
