A recent cohort study observed transmissible tumors moving rapidly through bottom-dwelling populations in Lake Memphremagog. However, experts note that correlation does not inherently equal a reason to stop swimming.
A paper published this week in a JAMA oncology journal detailed a localized spread of contagious carcinomas among brown bullhead catfish along the Vermont-Quebec border. However, lead authors were quick to emphasize that the findings rely heavily on observational data. More research is needed, they added, before definitively labeling the waterborne transmission of aggressive, face-eating tumors as a negative outcome for the lake's broader recreational ecosystem.
The data, which currently remains subject to rigorous peer review, highlights a unique cellular mechanism allowing the cancer to survive in open water before attaching to the gills of a new host. Officials at the CDC have issued preliminary guidance suggesting that while the mechanism is statistically significant, the limited sample size of just a single body of water makes it mathematically premature to declare the tumors a risk factor for area residents who routinely ingest untreated lake water while tubing.
While the self-reported mortality rate among the catfish cohort is approaching one hundred percent, we must remember that these are preliminary findings based on a highly specific biological model.
At press time, the WHO had declined to update its protocol for transmissible aquatic cancers, noting that the deceased catfish had failed to disclose potential confounding lifestyle factors prior to the onset of the mass localized extinction event.