Transmissible Melanoma Found in Memphremagog's Freshwater Fish

UVM researchers report that brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog carry a transmissible melanoma, with cancer cells moving between fish like parasites. DNA from cancers is more similar across individuals than to the fish, marking the first documented case of a transmissible cancer in freshwater fish. The disease is widespread in the lake, shows no proven link to local pollution, and poses no known risk to humans; the study, published in Nature, could illuminate how cancers evolve and spread.