Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 23, 2026
Necropsy-based Wild Fish Health Assessment
Published on: September 11, 2018
Naturally Occurring Invasive Walleye Dermal Sarcoma and Attempted Experimental Transmission of the Tumor
Paul R Bowser1, Gregory A Wooster1, Rodman G Getchell1
1a Aquatic Animal Health Program, Department of Microbiology and Immunology , College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University , Ithaca , New York , 14853-6401 , USA.
Abstract:
During the spring 2000 spawning season in Oneida Lake, New York, three walleyes Stizostedion vitreum with invasive walleye dermal sarcoma (WDS) were found. This was the first observation of invasive WDS in wild adult walleyes. A transmission trial was attempted to determine whether the virus associated with these invasive lesions would support the development of invasive WDS in an experimental transmission model. Transmission using inocula prepared from the invasive lesions was very poor compared with that resulting from our typical pooled-tumor inoculum. In addition, no invasive WDS developed. We believe that these results are due, in part, to a relatively low amount of virus in the invasive tumors, which appeared to be in a necrotic state.
