Credit: Kelsey Yates/Creston Valley Advance |
The vulnerable waters and freshwater fisheries of British Columbia’s lakes and rivers are under threat from whirling disease.
Three trout samples taken from the southern arm of Kootenay Lake have tested positive for the condition. Whirling disease is caused by a parasite, Myxobolus cerebralis, that attacks the brain stem, spinal cord, and nervous tissue of juvenile salmonid fish. The disease causes an erratic "whirling" swimming pattern, deformities of the spine and jaw, and dark patches on the skin near the tail. It is not a health risk for humans or pets |