scholarly journals Impacts of thermal mismatches on chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis prevalence are moderated by life stage, body size, elevation and latitude

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy M. Cohen ◽  
Taegan A. McMahon ◽  
Chloe Ramsay ◽  
Elizabeth A. Roznik ◽  
Erin L. Sauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Amphibian Declines ◽  
Lower Latitude ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Chytrid Fungus

AbstractGlobal climate change is increasing the frequency of unpredictable weather conditions; however, it remains unclear how species-level and geographic factors, including body size and latitude, moderate impacts of unusually warm or cool temperatures on disease. Because larger hosts and lower-latitude hosts generally have slower acclimation times, we hypothesized that their disease susceptibility increases under “thermal mismatches”, or differences between baseline climate and the temperature during surveying. Here, we examined how thermal mismatches interact with body size, life stage, habitat, latitude, elevation, phylogeny, and IUCN conservation status to predict infection prevalence of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in a global analysis of 38,967 amphibian hosts. As hypothesized, we found that the susceptibility of larger hosts and hosts from lower latitudes was strongly influenced by thermal mismatches. Furthermore, hosts of conservation concern are more susceptible than others following thermal mismatches, suggesting that thermal mismatches might have contributed to recent amphibian declines.Data Accessibility StatementShould the manuscript be accepted, the data supporting the results will be archived in an appropriate public repository such as Dryad or Figshare and the data DOI will be included at the end of the article.

scholarly journals Occurrence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Sweden: higher infection prevalence in southern species

2020 ◽  
Vol 140 ◽  
pp. 209-218
Author(s):  
S Meurling ◽  
S Kärvemo ◽  
N Chondrelli ◽  
M Cortazar Chinarro ◽  
D Åhlen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Green Toad ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
Bombina Bombina ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Southern Species

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has caused worldwide declines in amphibian populations. While Bd is widespread in southern and central Europe, its occurrence and distribution in northernmost Europe is mostly unknown. We surveyed for Bd in breeding anurans in Sweden by sampling 1917 amphibians from 101 localities and 3 regions in Sweden (southern, northern and central). We found that Bd was widespread in southern and central Sweden, occurring in all 9 investigated species and in 45.5% of the 101 localities with an overall prevalence of 13.8%. No infected individuals were found in the 4 northern sites sampled. The records from central Sweden represent the northernmost records of Bd in Europe. While the proportion of sites positive for Bd was similar between the southern and central regions, prevalence was much higher in the southern region. This was because southern species with a distribution mainly restricted to southernmost Sweden had a higher prevalence than widespread generalist species. The nationally red-listed green toad Bufotes variabilis and the fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina had the highest prevalence (61.4 and 48.9%, respectively). Across species, Bd prevalence was strongly positively, correlated with water temperature at the start of egg laying. However, no individuals showing visual signs of chytridiomycosis were found in the field. These results indicate that Bd is widespread and common in southern and central Sweden with southern species, breeding in higher temperatures and with longer breeding periods, having higher prevalence. However, the impact of Bd on amphibian populations in northernmost Europe remains unknown.

scholarly journals Environmental persistence but not per capita transmission rates of a chytrid fungus determines infection prevalence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha L Rumschlag ◽  
Sadie A. Roth ◽  
Taegan A. McMahon ◽  
Jason R. Rohr ◽  
David J. Civitello
Keyword(s):  
Transmission Rate ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Pond Water ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Transmission Rates ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Mechanistic Understanding

Understanding local-scale variability in disease dynamics can be important for informing strategies for surveillance and management. For example, the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Bd), which is implicated in population declines and species extinctions of amphibians, causes spatially variable epizootics and extirpations of its hosts. Outbreak heterogeneity could be driven by differential survival of zoospores, the free-living infectious life stage of Bd, or the persistence of dead zoospores and/or its metabolites in water, which could induce resistance among hosts. To gain a mechanistic understanding of the potential for variation in local transmission dynamics of Bd, we conducted Bd survival and infection experiments and then fit models to discern how Bd mortality, decomposition, and per-capita transmission rate vary among water sources. We found that infection prevalence differed among water sources, which was driven by differences in mortality rates of Bd zoospores, rather than differences in per-capita transmission rates. Specifically, zoospore mortality rates varied significantly among pond water treatments and were lower in artificial spring water compared to pond water sources. These results suggest that variation in Bd infection dynamics could be a function of differences in exposure of hosts to live Bd. In contrast to the persistence of live zoospores, we found that rates of decomposition of dead zoospores did not vary among water sources. These results may suggest that exposure of hosts to dead Bd or its metabolites, which have been shown to induce acquired resistance, might not commonly vary among nearby sites. Ultimately, a mechanistic understanding of the drivers of variable epizootics of Bd could lead to increases in the effectiveness of surveillance and management strategies.

scholarly journals Activities of Temporin Family Peptides against the Chytrid Fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) Associated with Global Amphibian Declines

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 1157-1160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise A. Rollins-Smith ◽  
Cynthia Carey ◽  
J. Michael Conlon ◽  
Laura K. Reinert ◽  
Jennifer K. Doersam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Growth Inhibition ◽  
Amino Acid Substitution ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Helical Structure ◽  
Amphibian Declines ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Wasp Venom ◽  
Growth Differences ◽  
Temporin A

ABSTRACT Temporin A and structurally related peptides produced in amphibian dermal granular glands and in wasp venom were tested for growth inhibition of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a pathogen associated with global amphibian declines. Two natural amphibian temporins, a wasp temporin, and six synthetic analogs effectively inhibited growth. Differences in potency due to amino acid substitution suggest that ability to penetrate membranes and form an α-helical structure is important for their effectiveness against this pathogen.

scholarly journals Distribution and Genetic Diversity of the Amphibian Chytrid in Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 522
Author(s):  
Koichi Goka ◽  
Jun Yokoyama ◽  
Atsushi Tominaga
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Limited Area ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Okinawa Island ◽  
Dna Variation ◽  
The Status ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Pcr Method

While research on frog chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), an infectious disease that threatens amphibian diversity, continues to advance worldwide, little progress has been made in Japan since around 2010. The reason for this is, which we pointed out in 2009, that the origin of frog chytrid fungus may be in the East Asian region, including Japan based on the Bd ITS-DNA variation, and as few cases of mass mortality caused by this fungus have been observed in wild amphibian populations in Japan, the interest of the Japanese government and the general public in Bd has waned. However, we believe that organizing the data obtained so far in Japan and distributing the status of frog chytrid fungus in Japan to the world will provide useful insight for future risk management of this pathogen. We collected more than 5500 swab samples from wild amphibians throughout Japan from 2009 to 2010. Then, we investigated the infection status using the Nested-PCR method. We sequenced the obtained DNA samples and constructed a maximum-parsimony (MP) tree to clarify the phylogenetic diversity of Bd. We detected Bd infection in 11 (nine native and two alien) amphibian species in Japan and obtained 44 haplotypes of Bd ITS-DNA. The MP tree showed a high diversity of Bd strains in Japan, suggesting that some strains belong to Bd-GPL and Bd-Brazil. Except for local populations of the Japanese giant salamanders Andrias japonicus in Honshu Island and the sword tail newts Cynops ensicauda in Okinawa Island, the Bd infection prevalence in native amphibian species was very low. The alien bullfrog Aquarana catesbeiana had high Bd infection rates in all areas where they were sampled. No Bd infection was detected in other native amphibians in the areas where giant salamanders, sword tail newts, and bullfrogs were collected, suggesting that many native amphibians are resistant to Bd infection. The sword tail newt of Okinawa Island had both the highest infectious incidence and greatest number of haplotypes. The giant salamanders also showed relatively high infection prevalence, but the infected strains were limited to those specific to this species. These two Caudata species are endemic to a limited area of Japan, and it was thought that they may have been refugia for Bd, which had been distributed in Japan Islands for a long time.

scholarly journals PRESENCE AND PREVALENCE OF BD (BATRACHOCHYTRIUM DENDROBATIDIS) IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIAN WOODLAND VERNAL POOLS

2016 ◽  
pp. 11-14
Author(s):  
Kristen S. Coury ◽  
Brennan A. Neal ◽  
Michael J. Shin ◽  
Erik D. Lindquist
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Vernal Pools ◽  
Amphibian Declines ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Migration Timing ◽  
Anuran Species ◽  
Central Pennsylvania ◽  
Woodland Vernal Pools

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a virulent chytrid fungus responsible for dramatic amphibian declines, has been detected in the northwestern and southeastern regions of Pennsylvania. However, little environmental Bd testing has been performed in central Pennsylvania, particularly in the unique and speciose habitats of woodland vernal pools. Our study included sampling in four vernal pools over a period of three months during amphibian breeding periods. Skin swabs were taken from three caudate and two anuran species, during the course of late winter and spring migrations (n = 143). Low Bd zoospore equivalent loads were detected in only a few individuals, in three of the five species but in all four vernal pools sampled. No significant trends were seen between zoospore loads and ambient temperature or migration timing across the species sampled.

Activity of antimicrobial skin peptides from ranid frogs against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the chytrid fungus associated with global amphibian declines

2002 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 471-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise A Rollins-Smith ◽  
Cynthia Carey ◽  
Joyce Longcore ◽  
Jennifer K Doersam ◽  
Angela Boutte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Amphibian Declines ◽  
Chytrid Fungus

Low infection prevalence of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Chytridiomycetes: Rhizophydiales) in Cuba

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Sabino-Pinto ◽  
Molly C. Bletz ◽  
Manuel Iturriaga ◽  
Miguel Vences ◽  
Ariel Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Amphibian Chytrid Fungus

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is responsible for population declines and extinctions of amphibians worldwide. The distribution and prevalence of Bd in Cuba has remained unknown to date, with only a single report on its presence. We collected 182 samples from wild anuran populations across 21 species and 16 localities and tested for the presence of Bd using qPCRs. Only six Bd positive samples from four species were detected in three very close localities in Central Cuba. Bd prevalence was of 10-20% in the positive localities, and the island-wide prevalence was only 3.2%. These results indicate that Bd occurrence in Cuba might be concentrated in or even restricted to the central Guamuhaya Massif and call for increased conservation and monitoring efforts in these mountains along with additional sampling in areas and species not covered in this study.

Evaluation of the Skin Peptide Defenses of the Oregon Spotted Frog Rana pretiosa Against Infection by the Chytrid Fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 797-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Michael Conlon ◽  
Laura K. Reinert ◽  
Milena Mechkarska ◽  
Manju Prajeep ◽  
Mohammed A. Meetani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Rana Pretiosa

scholarly journals Is overwintering mortality driving enigmatic declines? Evaluating the impacts of trematodes and the amphibian chytrid fungus on an anuran from hatching through overwintering

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262561
Author(s):  
Olivia Wetsch ◽  
Miranda Strasburg ◽  
Jessica McQuigg ◽  
Michelle D. Boone
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Critical Life Events ◽  
Overwintering Mortality ◽  
Amphibian Chytrid Fungus

Emerging infectious diseases are increasing globally and are an additional challenge to species dealing with native parasites and pathogens. Therefore, understanding the combined effects of infectious agents on hosts is important for species’ conservation and population management. Amphibians are hosts to many parasites and pathogens, including endemic trematode flatworms (e.g., Echinostoma spp.) and the novel pathogenic amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]). Our study examined how exposure to trematodes during larval development influenced the consequences of Bd pathogen exposure through critical life events. We found that prior exposure to trematode parasites negatively impacted metamorphosis but did not influence the effect of Bd infection on terrestrial growth and survival. Bd infection alone, however, resulted in significant mortality during overwintering—an annual occurrence for most temperate amphibians. The results of our study indicated overwintering mortality from Bd could provide an explanation for enigmatic declines and highlights the importance of examining the long-term consequences of novel parasite exposure.

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