known transmissible cancer discovered

Key Points:

• Scientists from Vermont’s Fish and Wildlife discovered a high prevalence of melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog, with 23% to 37% of sampled fish showing lesions.
• The melanoma appears as black spots on various parts of the fish, including gills, lips, and eyes, and is believed to be a contagious cancer spreading among the catfish population.
• Researchers suggest the outbreak originated from one fish and spread through cancer cells shed into the water, potentially triggered by water quality degradation following flooding from Hurricane Irene in 2011.
• Contagious cancers are rare but have been observed in other species such as dogs, Tasmanian devils, clams, and shellfish, raising concerns about the possible prevalence of transmissible cancers, including in humans.
• The discovery highlights the need for further research into transmissible cancers and their potential impact across different species.