Contagious Cancer Found in North American Catfish The discovery of a contagious cancer in North American catfish highlights the unexpected ways that disease can spread in seemingly pristine environments.
Researchers reported in the journal Nature that this is the first documented case of transmissible melanoma in fish, raising fundamental questions about the nature of cancer itself.
A disturbing observation prompted an investigation into high rates of malignant melanomas among catfish in Lake Memphremagog, straddling Vermont and Quebec.