Preventative measures: According to Melrose (2002), no known treatments exist to counteract the effects of M. cerebralis in infected organisms. Those fish that do recover still retain the physical damage associated with infection. To decrease or prevent economic losses, various management techniques have and are being developed for use in fish hatcheries. As young fish are the most susceptible, management techniques have traditionally focused on controlling exposure of fry to the infectious stage of M. cerebralis, which are microscopic spores called triactinomyxons. Hatcheries have previously done this in two ways: 1) rear the young fish in well water to prevent exposure until they are older and more resistant, or 2) use pond designs that reduce potential habitat for oligochaetes. New research suggests that exposing water to unltraviolet light can inactivate triactinomyxons. A dose of 1300 mWs cm-2 ultraviolet light can inactivate 100% of the triactinomyxon sporoplasm cells. Sporoplasm is the infective mass of protoplasm within the spore that is injected into the host cell by various parasitic microorganisms.
The Whirling Disease Foundation, the Whirling Disease Initiative, and sponsored researchers are leading research on the development of a working risk assessment model for whirling disease and how it might be used as a management tool by fisheries managers to estimate risks and identify actions to reduce these risks. For details and updates on this project please see Whirling Disease Initiative: Risk Assessment.
1. Melrose, E. 2002. Myxobolus cerebralis: The causative agent of whirling disease in salmonid fish. Dalhousie University.
Summary: A detailed report on background information on Myxobolus cerebralis. The report also includes management information.
3. Whirling Disease Initiative, 2005b. Publications and Resources
Summary: This webpage gives accesss to reports, publications, bibliography and links dealing with whirling disease, its impacts and management in the USA. Also available are maps of spread in the USA and profiles of whirling disease research projects.
Available from: http://whirlingdisease.montana.edu/resources/default.htm [Accessed 10 November 2005]
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