Absence of the Protozoan Myxosoma cerebralis (Myxozoa: Myxosporea), the Cause of Whirling Disease, in a Survey of Salmonids from British Columbia

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Authors: Margolis, L., McDonald, T. E., Hoskins, G. E.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1981
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Canada; British Columbia; Keta; Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f81-136; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f81-136

Myxosoma cerebralis (Hofer, 1903) was not observed in 973 wild and 4496 cultured salmonids examined from collections made in widely separated localities in British Columbia from 1968 to 1980. Species investigated were Salmo clarki (180), S. gairdneri (3688), S. trutta (16), Salvelinus fontinalis (185), S. malma (300), Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (109), O. keta (17), O. kisutch (785), O. nerka (126), and O. tshawytscha (63). Previous reports notwithstanding, in the absence of corroborative evidence British Columbia (Canada) should not be accepted as a center of M. cerebralis infection.Key words: Myxosoma cerebralis, salmonids, British Columbia, whirling disease