Project: Integrated Studies of Whirling Disease in Montana Rivers Part I: Relationship of Myxobolus cerebralis-Infected Tubifex to Infection Rates and Severity of Disease in Trout of the Rock Creek Drainage

Primary Investigator: Willard Granath
Project Summary: One route towards control of whirling disease in trout may be through control of the parasite's alternate host, the aquatic worm known as Tubifex tubifex. The purpose of this study was to establish the basic relationship between infection in a trout population and infection in the resident tubificid worms of the drainage. The results show increasing infection of trout that is not mirrored by increasing infection of worms. No relationship between water quality and disease severity is evident, nor can infection of trout be correlated to the immediate presence of infected worms. More work is clearly needed to understand the fundamental ecology of the whirling disease parasite.
Funding Period: 1999-2000
Final Report: Granath_99-00b.pdf
Dataset(s) associated with this project:

Susceptibility of T. tubifex to M. cerebralis infection

Habitat assessments at Rock Creek sites

Prevalence of M. cerebralis infection in T. tubifex

Severity of infection in sentinel trout

Mean water temperature at sentinel cages in Rock Creek

Water temperature at Rock Creek sites

Water quality measurements in the Rock Creek drainage