The eco system in the river is fragile and carries an interesting progression of disease communicated among varied species of life. As anglers we see infected fish and forget that these fish were infected from a diseased shrimp. Shrimp are prone to a couple if diseases but the most common is the "cotton" disease a single cell protozoan parasite called a microsporidian.
If you eat a shrimp with cotton disease will you die? Nope, so knock that off your list on how best to get get back at your boss. I know, you cannot even reduce your enemy to a bad case of GI distress.
However, cotton disease in shrimp DOES affect taste and the visuals of a shrimp infected will affect appetite.
What is cotton disease?
A protozoan that affects the muscular architecture of the shrimp. It is most commonly found in the head or reproductive area or abdominal area. They appear as tiny white or grey tumors, hence the slang, "Cotton". The disease can appear as black or blue bands on larger shrimp.
This disease is found in both white and brown shrimp and more common in the white then brown. The brown shrimp is the most common shrimp found in the Edgewater and Oak Hill region. Actually, we have 5 types of common shrimp in those areas, "Brown, White, Pink, Rock and Red.
Oak Hill and Titusville have mostly the brown, pink and white. The brown ones have a higher concentration of iodine. You can smell this iodine odor if you smell the 5 gallon bucket one time :-)
This disease is mostly found in large according to research but I have always found cotton disease mostly in the mediums and smalls. When they are infected they are more vulnerable to predators.
The last 2 times I have gone out [Feb 3rd and 4th, 2010], I had 5 to 6 shrimp infected with cotton. When you find a diseased shrimp DO NOT throw it back into the river. Bury the shrimp in the ground with some lime or dispose of the diseased shrimp without further contaminating the eco system.
Here are some pics out of my collection:
If you eat a shrimp with cotton disease will you die? Nope, so knock that off your list on how best to get get back at your boss. I know, you cannot even reduce your enemy to a bad case of GI distress.
However, cotton disease in shrimp DOES affect taste and the visuals of a shrimp infected will affect appetite.
What is cotton disease?
A protozoan that affects the muscular architecture of the shrimp. It is most commonly found in the head or reproductive area or abdominal area. They appear as tiny white or grey tumors, hence the slang, "Cotton". The disease can appear as black or blue bands on larger shrimp.
This disease is found in both white and brown shrimp and more common in the white then brown. The brown shrimp is the most common shrimp found in the Edgewater and Oak Hill region. Actually, we have 5 types of common shrimp in those areas, "Brown, White, Pink, Rock and Red.
Oak Hill and Titusville have mostly the brown, pink and white. The brown ones have a higher concentration of iodine. You can smell this iodine odor if you smell the 5 gallon bucket one time :-)
This disease is mostly found in large according to research but I have always found cotton disease mostly in the mediums and smalls. When they are infected they are more vulnerable to predators.
The last 2 times I have gone out [Feb 3rd and 4th, 2010], I had 5 to 6 shrimp infected with cotton. When you find a diseased shrimp DO NOT throw it back into the river. Bury the shrimp in the ground with some lime or dispose of the diseased shrimp without further contaminating the eco system.
Here are some pics out of my collection:
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Very informative information. I for one can attest to not harming you. 
