ABSTRACT

Bollinger 2007), but they thrive at 32.5°C in the presence of anaerobic sediments where decomposition of organic matter occurs. Events that result in warm sediments and favor anaerobic conditions include a warming climate (Sousounis and Glick 2000) with less ice cover in the winter (Assel et al. 2003), and reduced lake levels (Moraska Lafrancois et al. 2010). However, adequate conditions for the proliferation of bacteria are not necessarily sufcient for an outbreak to occur. A number of variables have been identied that can promote disease transmission in aquatic populations. These variables include temperature, the immune response of the host, density of the pathogen, and density of the host population (Riley et al. 2008). Thus, bacterial proliferation and toxin production need to be linked to a benthic foodweb for botulism to occur and spread. Benthic organisms, including but not limited to mollusks, must come in contact with C. botulinum type-E and then be consumed by a vertebrate (sh, aquatic salamanders, waterfowl) for the initiation of an outbreak (Pérez-Fuentetaja et al. 2011).