Ceratonova shasta (syn. Ceratomyxa shasta) is a myxosporean parasite that infects salmonid fish on the Pacific coast of North America. It was first observed at the Crystal Lake Hatchery, Shasta County, California, and has now been reported from Idaho, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska.
Life history
In addition to the fish host, C. shasta infects a freshwater annelid worm. Actinospores are released from the worm, and infect fish, on contact, in the water column. Neither horizontal (fish to fish), nor vertical (fish to egg) transmissions have been documented under laboratory conditions, suggesting that the worm host is necessary for completion of the life cycle.
Spores are released back into freshwater system after its fish host dies, however the complete life cycle, host and vector interaction is not fully understood (especially the ecology of the polychaete host).
Internally, infection with C. shasta affects entire digestive tract, liver, gall bladder, spleen, gonads, kidney, heart, gills, and muscle tissues. Infection with C. shasta in adult chinook salmon causes mortality through intestinal perforations and co-occurring bacterial infections. Resistance is variable and may be compromised by environmental conditions which enhance infectivity. Salmonid stocks which are resistant to C. shasta are not necessarily resistant to other myxosporean infections, such as Myxobolus cerebralis.
Dams and proliferation
Dammed rivers are associated with the proliferation of C. shasta. The dams on the river Klamath resulted in the colonization of large areas with annelid worms which are a secondary host of C. shasta. Dammed areas tend to cause overcrowding of fishes which is associated with C. shasta infection. Plans for the removal of the dams on the Klamath are underway.