Crayfish plague – Findings in Switzerland

Description

Proof of the crayfish plague in Switzerland: Geo-referenced locations of populations with test results. The most cataclysmic disease for the European species is the crayfish plague (cause: aphanomyces astaci; oamycetes). This fungis was brought over from the Americas to Europe in 1880 and destroyed the majority of native European crayfish stocks since the European crayfish species die from it. However, the American species can carry the fungus and infect populations of local species by excreting spores into the water. This disease emerges irregularly every once in awhile in Switzerland.