Are inland lakes susceptible to Type E botulism outbreaks?
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has cited rare reports of Type E botulism on the state’s inland lakes. Scientists believe that there is a minimal threat of botulism outbreak transfer from the Great Lakes to inland lakes, since the disease itself is not transferable from a transportation standpoint. The likelihood of an infected animal getting from the Great Lakes to an inland lake is small, since it will probably be too incapacitated by the toxin to travel.
