Project: Resolving uncertainties in Myxobolus cerebralis introduction and establishment risks

Primary Investigator: Jerri Bartholomew
Project Summary: This investigation is a continuing study that began in the 2005-2006 funding cycle. The goal of this project is to resolve questions considered critical to development of reliable whirling disease risk assessments for rivers in the Pacific Northwest and across North America. The first objective is to determine whether straying of infected adult fish plays a significant role in introducing Myxobolus cerebralis to new areas. The second objective is to determine if genetic markers for T. tubifex are a practical tool for assessing the risk of M. cerebralis establishment in a river system. Outcomes of this research will include: 1) Intervention strategies to decrease risks of introduction as a result of straying adult salmon. 2) Recommendations for sampling and analysis of T. tubifex for the purposes of risk assessment. 3) A risk assessment for the Willamette River, Oregon, as a model for lower Columbia River Basin tributaries. 4) A risk assessment for the state of Alaska, as a model for risk assessments outside M. cerebralis endemic regions.
Funding Period: 2006-2007
Final Report: 2006-2007 final report not yet available
Dataset(s) associated with this project:

Adult Summer Steelhead Strays Found in the Willamette River Basin (Oregon)

Distribution of Tubifex tubifex lineages in the Willamette River Basin (OR)