Horror as fourth contagious flesh-eating cancer discovered – killed 38,000 animals

EXCLUSIVE: Over a dozen transmissible events have now been recorded, with scientists racing to determine whether other animals, even humans, could be next. 10:32, Fri, Jul 31, 2026 Updated: 10:40, Fri, Jul 31, 2026 Over a dozen separate transmissible cancer events have now been recorded (Image: Getty)Scientists have raised the alarm after uncovering a terrifying, contagious "flesh-eating" cancer spreading through wild populations – making it only the fourth known transmissible cancer in recorded history. The horror discovery, published in the journal Nature, marks the first time an infectious cancer has ever been detected in fish.Biologists at the University of Vermont confirmed that a black, tar-like melanoma found on brown bullhead catfish from the Lake Memphremagog region on the US-Canada border is actively passing from fish to fish. While traditional cancers die alongside their host, these horrific mutant cell lines break free, multiplying continuously as an infectious parasite. Worryingly, scientists have warned that transmissible cancers are likely far more common in nature than previously believed, overcoming host immune systems and wreaking havoc across entire ecosystems. G...