scholarly journals Infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is common in tropical lowland habitats: Implications for amphibian conservation

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 4917-4930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor Zumbado‐Ulate ◽  
Adrián García‐Rodríguez ◽  
Vance T. Vredenburg ◽  
Catherine Searle
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Tropical Lowland

Micro-eukaryote Diversity in Freshwater Ponds That Harbor the Amphibian Pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd)

2012 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 565-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antje Lauer ◽  
Lonnie McConnel ◽  
Navdeep Singh
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
State University ◽  
School Students ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Amphibian Pathogen ◽  
Biological Methods

We designed a microbiology project that fully engaged undergraduate biology students, high school students, and their teachers in a summer research program as part of the Research Education Vitalizing Science University Program conducted at California State University Bakersfield. Modern molecular biological methods and microscopy were used to detect and identify microcrustacean species in ponds around Bakersfield, California, that harbor the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). The students learned about the amphibian decline in California and worldwide due to chytridiomycosis and how microcrustaceans as natural predators of Bd-zoospores can be used in mitigation strategies for amphibian conservation.

scholarly journals Potential distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Argentina: implications in amphibian conservation

Hydrobiologia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 659 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Ghirardi ◽  
M. G. Perotti ◽  
M. M. Steciow ◽  
M. L. Arellano ◽  
G. S. Natale
Keyword(s):  
Potential Distribution ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Amphibian Conservation

scholarly journals Metabolites from Microbes Isolated from the Skin of the Panamanian Rocket Frog Colostethus panamansis (Anura: Dendrobatidae)

Metabolites ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 406
Author(s):  
Christian Martin H. ◽  
Roberto Ibáñez ◽  
Louis-Félix Nothias ◽  
Andrés Mauricio Caraballo-Rodríguez ◽  
Pieter C. Dorrestein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
3D Model ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Potential Drug ◽  
Production Potential ◽  
Associated Bacteria ◽  
Future Potential ◽  
Ecological Applications ◽  
Deadly Disease

The Panamanian rocket frog Colostethus panamansis (family Dendrobatidae) has been affected by chytridiomycosis, a deadly disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). While there are still uninfected frogs, we set out to isolate microbes from anatomically distinct regions in an effort to create a cultivable resource within Panama for potential drug/agricultural/ecological applications that perhaps could also be used as part of a strategy to protect frogs from infections. To understand if there are specific anatomies that should be explored in future applications of this resource, we mapped skin-associated bacteria of C. panamansis and their metabolite production potential by mass spectrometry on a 3D model. Our results indicate that five bacterial families (Enterobacteriaceae, Comamonadaceae, Aeromonadaceae, Staphylococcaceae and Pseudomonadaceae) dominate the cultivable microbes from the skin of C. panamansis. The combination of microbial classification and molecular analysis in relation to the anti-Bd inhibitory databases reveals the resource has future potential for amphibian conservation.

scholarly journals Infectious disease threats to amphibian conservation

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 81-90
Author(s):  
A.A. Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Late 20Th Century ◽  
Amphibian Population ◽  
In The Wild

The unexplained decline of amphibian populations across the world was first recognised in the late 20th century. When investigated, most of these “enigmatic” declines have been shown to be due to one of two types of infectious disease: ranavirosis caused by infection with FV3-like ranavirus or with common midwife toad virus, or chytridiomycosis caused by infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or B. salamandrivorans. In all cases examined, infection has been via the human-mediated introduction of the pathogen to a species or population in which it has not naturally co-evolved. While ranaviruses and B. salamandrivorans have caused regionally localised amphibian population declines in Europe, the chytrid fungus, B. dendrobatidis, has caused catastrophic multi-species amphibian population declines and species extinctions globally. These diseases have already caused the loss of amphibian biodiversity, and over 40% of known amphibian species are threatened with extinction. If this biodiversity loss is to be halted, it is imperative that regulations are put in place – and enforced – to prevent the spread of known and yet-to-be discovered amphibian pathogens. Also, it is incumbent on those who keep or study amphibians to take measures to minimise the risk of disease spread, including from captive animals to those in the wild.

Seasonal prevalence of the amphibian chytrid in a tropical pond-dwelling tadpole species

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 171-176
Author(s):  
J Ruggeri ◽  
AGS Martins ◽  
AHR Domingos ◽  
I Santos ◽  
IB Viroomal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Relevant Role ◽  
Potential Reservoir ◽  
Imminent Threat ◽  
Reservoir Hosts

Infection by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a major threat to amphibians and has caused catastrophic global declines of amphibian populations. Some studies have detected a seasonal pattern of infection associated with the local climate, and although most of them have focused on investigating the seasonality of Bd in relation to its impacts on amphibians, fewer have aimed to understand the chytrid persistence in the amphibian assemblage over seasons by investigating reservoir hosts. Since tadpoles are generally tolerant to Bd infection, they often play a relevant role in local disease dynamics. Thus, we hypothesized that tadpoles of Boana faber, a species that can be found in permanent ponds throughout the seasons, would function as Bd reservoirs. We therefore investigated Bd infection prevalence in tadpoles of this species over 2 yr in a nature reserve. As expected, we detected a seasonal variation of Bd infection, with a higher prevalence of Bd during the coldest months (winter) when compared to the warmer months (summer). Interestingly, our seasonal-trend decomposition analysis showed that Bd prevalence is increasing annually in the area, which could represent either a natural fluctuation of this pathogen, or an imminent threat to that anuran assemblage. With this study, we highlight the tadpole of B. faber as a potential reservoir for Bd, and we suggest that monitoring Bd in such hosts could be a powerful tool for identifying priority areas for amphibian conservation.

scholarly journals Endemic Infection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Costa Rica: Implications for Amphibian Conservation at Regional and Species Level

Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Héctor Zumbado-Ulate ◽  
Kiersten N. Nelson ◽  
Adrián García-Rodríguez ◽  
Gerardo Chaves ◽  
Erick Arias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Current Impact ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Species Descriptions ◽  
Effective Conservation

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been associated with the severe declines and extinctions of amphibians in Costa Rica that primarily occurred during the 1980s and 1990s. However, the current impact of Bd infection on amphibian species in Costa Rica is unknown. We aimed to update the list of amphibian species in Costa Rica and evaluate the prevalence and infection intensity of Bd infection across the country to aid in the development of effective conservation strategies for amphibians. We reviewed taxonomic lists and included new species descriptions and records for a total of 215 amphibian species in Costa Rica. We also sampled for Bd at nine localities from 2015–2018 and combined these data with additional Bd occurrence data from multiple studies conducted in amphibian communities across Costa Rica from 2005–2018. With this combined dataset, we found that Bd was common (overall infection rate of 23%) across regions and elevations, but infection intensity was below theoretical thresholds associated with mortality. Bd was also more prevalent in Caribbean lowlands and in terrestrial amphibians with an aquatic larval stage; meanwhile, infection load was the highest in direct-developing species (forest and stream-dwellers). Our findings can be used to prioritize regions and taxonomic groups for conservation strategies.

scholarly journals Novel findings on the impact of chytridiomycosis on the cardiac function of anurans: sensitive vs. tolerant species

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel F. Salla ◽  
Gisele M. Rizzi-Possignolo ◽  
Cristiane R. Oliveira ◽  
Carolina Lambertini ◽  
Lilian Franco-Belussi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Function ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Electrolyte Imbalance ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Cardiac Pumping ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Cardiac Relaxation ◽  
The Impact

Background Understanding of the physiological effects of chytridiomycosis is crucial to worldwide amphibian conservation. Therefore, we analyzed the cardiac function of two anuran species (Xenopus laevis and Physalaemus albonotatus) with different susceptibilities to infection by the causative agent of chytridiomycosis, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (hereafter Bd). Methods We analyzed the in situ heart rate (fH - bpm), relative ventricular mass (RVM -%), and Ca2+ handling in heart of Bd infected animals compared to uninfected controls of both study species. Results Bd infection resulted in a 78% decrease in contraction force values in P. albonotatus when compared to the less susceptible X. laevis. This negative effect was even more evident (82%) for the cardiac pumping capacity. The time to reach peak tension was 125% longer in P. albonotatus than in X. laevis, and cardiac relaxation was 57% longer. Discussion These results indicate a delay in the cardiac cycle of P. albonotatus on a beat-to-beat basis, which was corroborated by the bradycardia observed in situ. In summary, Bd-sensitive species present impaired cardiac function, which could be a factor in mortality risk. The more pronounced effects of Bd in P. albonotatus may not only result from electrolyte imbalance, as previously reported, but also could be an effect of toxins produced by Bd. For X. laevis, the ability to promote cardiac adjustments seems to be an important homeostatic feature that allows greater tolerance to chytridiomycosis. This study provides new physiological mechanisms underlying the tolerance or susceptibility of amphibian species to chytridiomycosis, which determine their adaptability to survive in the affected environments.

scholarly journals A survey for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in Chinese amphibians

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 729-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhu ◽  
Feng Xu ◽  
Changming Bai ◽  
Xuan Liu ◽  
Supen Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Close Monitoring ◽  
Batrachochytrium Salamandrivorans ◽  
Border Trade ◽  
The Status

Abstract For the last decade, chytridiomycosis was considered to be caused by a single species of fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), but a second chytrid species, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bs), was recently isolated from an infected Salamandra salamandra in the Netherlands. To date, Bs has only been found in the Netherlands. To assess whether Bs is present in China, we analyzed a total of 665 samples, including 425 wild samples, 41 preserved specimens, and 199 captive samples, from 30 different species, including both urodeles and anurans. Our sample sites covered 15 provinces in China. All of the samples tested negative for Bs, resulting in a 95% confidence limit for a prevalence of 0.6%. The absence of Bs observed in this large-scale survey in China has significant implications for amphibian conservation and for border trade management strategies intended to control amphibian diseases. We strongly recommend the continued close monitoring of Bs to verify the status of this potentially devastating amphibian fungus in China.

scholarly journals Cryptic diversity of a widespread global pathogen reveals expanded threats to amphibian conservation

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (41) ◽  
pp. 20382-20387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Q. Byrne ◽  
Vance T. Vredenburg ◽  
An Martel ◽  
Frank Pasmans ◽  
Rayna C. Bell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Degraded Dna ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
The World ◽  
Globally Distributed ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Lineage Diversity

Biodiversity loss is one major outcome of human-mediated ecosystem disturbance. One way that humans have triggered wildlife declines is by transporting disease-causing agents to remote areas of the world. Amphibians have been hit particularly hard by disease due in part to a globally distributed pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]). Prior research has revealed important insights into the biology and distribution of Bd; however, there are still many outstanding questions in this system. Although we know that there are multiple divergent lineages of Bd that differ in pathogenicity, we know little about how these lineages are distributed around the world and where lineages may be coming into contact. Here, we implement a custom genotyping method for a global set of Bd samples. This method is optimized to amplify and sequence degraded DNA from noninvasive skin swab samples. We describe a divergent lineage of Bd, which we call BdASIA3, that appears to be widespread in Southeast Asia. This lineage co-occurs with the global panzootic lineage (BdGPL) in multiple localities. Additionally, we shed light on the global distribution of BdGPL and highlight the expanded range of another lineage, BdCAPE. Finally, we argue that more monitoring needs to take place where Bd lineages are coming into contact and where we know little about Bd lineage diversity. Monitoring need not use expensive or difficult field techniques but can use archived swab samples to further explore the history—and predict the future impacts—of this devastating pathogen.

scholarly journals Assessing host extinction risk following exposure to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1785) ◽  
pp. 20132783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stilianos Louca ◽  
Margarita Lampo ◽  
Michael Doebeli
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Relevant Parameter ◽  
Wildlife Diseases ◽  
Host Extinction

Wildlife diseases are increasingly recognized as a major threat to biodiversity. Chytridiomycosis is an emerging infectious disease of amphibians caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ). Using a mathematical model and simulations, we study its effects on a generic riparian host population with a tadpole and adult life stage. An analytical expression for the basic reproduction quotient, Q o , of the pathogen is derived. By sampling the entire relevant parameter space, we perform a statistical assessment of the importance of all considered parameters in determining the risk of host extinction, upon exposure to Bd . We find that Q o not only gives a condition for the initial invasion of the fungus, but is in fact the best predictor for host extinction. We also show that the role of tadpoles, which in some species tolerate infections, is ambivalent. While tolerant tadpoles may provide a reservoir for the fungus, thus facilitating its persistence or even amplifying its outbreaks, they can also act as a rescue buffer for a stressed host population. Our results have important implications for amphibian conservation efforts.

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