An analysis of whirling disease risk in Western Montana
Abstract
Myxobolus cerebralis, the causative agent of whirling disease, has been a major contributor to the loss of young trout in numerous streams within the Intermountain West (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming). Currently there are no effective management procedures for mitigating the effects of this disease because it is not fully known why the parasite has severe effects in some trout populations while remaining fairly benign in others. Characteristics of the parasite, hosts, environment, and their interactions, may partially explain varying responses of wild rainbow trout populations to whirling disease. The goal of this study was to examine possible contributors to, and indicators of, stream degradation and their relationship to whirling disease risk. Specifically, the objectives were to quantify relationships between whirling disease risk and 1) land use 2) biological stream integrity and 3) physicochemical parameters within four major drainages in western Montana. The hypothesis was that whirling disease risk is influenced by anthropogenic land use practices that create favorable habitat for the oligochaete worm host, Tubifex tubifex, which is reflected in the biological integrity and physicochemical features of the stream.
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