scholarly journals Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans Threat to the Iberian Urodele Hotspot

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 644
Author(s):  
Jaime Bosch ◽  
An Martel ◽  
Jarrod Sopniewski ◽  
Barbora Thumsová ◽  
Cesar Ayres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Conservation Units ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Batrachochytrium Salamandrivorans ◽  
Extensive Field ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Active Disease

The recent introduction of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans into northeastern Spain threatens salamander diversity on the Iberian Peninsula. We assessed the current epidemiological situation with extensive field sampling of urodele populations. We then sought to delineate priority regions and identify conservation units for the Iberian Peninsula by estimating the susceptibility of Iberian urodeles using laboratory experiments, evidence from mortality events in nature and captivity and inference from phylogeny. None of the 1395 field samples, collected between 2015 and 2021 were positive for Bsal and no Bsal-associated mortality events were recorded, in contrast to the confirmed occurrence of Bsal outbreak previously described in 2018. We classified five of eleven Iberian urodele species as highly susceptible, predicting elevated mortality and population declines following potential Bsal emergence in the wild, five species as intermediately susceptible with variable disease outcomes and one species as resistant to disease and mortality. We identified the six conservation units (i.e., species or lineages within species) at highest risk and propose priority areas for active disease surveillance and field biosecurity measures. The magnitude of the disease threat identified here emphasizes the need for region-tailored disease abatement plans that couple active disease surveillance to rapid and drastic actions.

Marine and continental distribution and dynamic of the early spawning migration of twaite shad (Alosa fallax (Lacépède, 1803)) and allis shad (Alosa alosa (Linnaeus, 1758)) in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 1229 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Nachón ◽  
M. Mota ◽  
C. Antunes ◽  
M. J. Servia ◽  
F. Cobo
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Habitats Directive ◽  
The European Union ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Allis Shad ◽  
Alosa Alosa ◽  
Twaite Shad ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Alosa Fallax

Knowledge regarding the marine phase of twaite shad (Alosa fallax (Lacépède, 1803)) and allis shad (Alosa alosa (Linnaeus, 1758)) remains limited. To understand the coastal and continental distribution and dynamic of migration of these species, in the present study we collected official data records of marine landings (kg), separated according to species, for all fish markets in Galicia (north-west of the Iberian Peninsula) and undertook freshwater field sampling campaigns. The findings indicate that both species of shad exhibit a coastal distribution near the rivers where they spawn, namely the Minho and Ulla rivers. Catches at sea declined from January, a phenomenon that can be understood as the onset of migration to the rivers. Bycatch reports are important because both A. fallax and A. alosa are listed in the Annex V of the European Union Habitats Directive, which lists animal species whose exploitation and taking in the wild may be subject to management measures. However, for a better management of these species it is necessary to understand the magnitude of displacements and connection of shad populations at sea.

scholarly journals Dynamics of host populations affected by the emerging fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 160801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedikt R. Schmidt ◽  
Claudio Bozzuto ◽  
Stefan Lötters ◽  
Sebastian Steinfartz
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Batrachochytrium Salamandrivorans ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Successful Control ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Local Extirpation

Emerging infectious diseases cause extirpation of wildlife populations. We use an epidemiological model to explore the effects of a recently emerged disease caused by the salamander-killing chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans ( Bsal ) on host populations, and to evaluate which mitigation measures are most likely to succeed. As individuals do not recover from Bsal , we used a model with the states susceptible, latent and infectious, and parametrized the model using data on host and pathogen taken from the literature and expert opinion. The model suggested that disease outbreaks can occur at very low host densities (one female per hectare). This density is far lower than host densities in the wild. Therefore, all naturally occurring populations are at risk. Bsal can lead to the local extirpation of the host population within a few months. Disease outbreaks are likely to fade out quickly. A spatial variant of the model showed that the pathogen could potentially spread rapidly. As disease mitigation during outbreaks is unlikely to be successful, control efforts should focus on preventing disease emergence and transmission between populations. Thus, this emerging wildlife disease is best controlled through prevention rather than subsequent actions.

scholarly journals Mitigating Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valarie Thomas ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Pascale Van Rooij ◽  
Elin Verbrugghe ◽  
Vojtech Baláž ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ex Situ Conservation ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Batrachochytrium Salamandrivorans ◽  
Mitigation Methods

Abstract The infectious chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) has been responsible for severe population declines of salamander populations in Europe. Serious population declines and loss of urodelan diversity may occur if appropriate action is not taken to mitigate against the further spread and impact of Bsal. We provide an overview of several potential mitigation methods, and describe their possible advantages and limitations. We conclude that long-term, context-dependent, multi-faceted approaches are needed to successfully mitigate adverse effects of Bsal, and that these approaches should be initiated pre-arrival of the pathogen. The establishment of ex situ assurance colonies, or management units, for species threatened with extinction, should be considered as soon as possible. While ex situ conservation and preventive measures aimed at improving biosecurity by limiting amphibian trade may be implemented quickly, major challenges that lie ahead are in designing in situ disease containment and mitigation post-arrival and in increasing public awareness.

scholarly journals A poor substitute for the real thing: captive-reared monarch butterflies are weaker, paler and have less elongated wings than wild migrants

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 20190922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew K. Davis ◽  
Farran M. Smith ◽  
Ashley M. Ballew
Keyword(s):  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Average Strength ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Monarch Butterflies ◽  
Real Thing ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Wild Group ◽  
Migration Propensity

For many animals and insects that are experiencing dramatic population declines, the only recourse for conservationists is captive rearing. To ensure success, reared individuals should be biologically indistinct from those in the wild. We tested if this is true with monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus , which are increasingly being reared for release by citizens and commercial breeders. Since late-summer monarchs should be as migration capable as possible for surviving the arduous long-distance migration, we evaluated four migration-relevant traits across two groups of captive-reared monarchs ( n = 41 and 42) and one group of wild-caught migrants ( n = 41). Monarchs (descendants of wild individuals) were reared from eggs to adulthood either in a warm indoor room next to a window, or in an incubator that mimicked late-summer conditions. Using an apparatus consisting of a perch mounted to an electronic force gauge, we assessed ‘grip strength' of all groups, then used image analysis to measure forewing size, pigmentation and elongation. In three of the four traits, reared monarchs underperformed compared to wild ones, even those reared under conditions that should have produced migration-ready individuals. The average strength of reared monarchs combined was 56% less than the wild group, even when accounting for size. Their orange wing colour was paler (an indicator of poor condition and flight ability) and their forewings were less elongated (elongation is associated with migration propensity) than wild monarchs. The reason(s) behind these effects is unknown but could stem from the frequent disturbance and/or handling of reared monarchs, or the fact that rearing removes the element of natural selection from all stages. Regardless, these results explain prior tagging studies that showed reared monarchs have lower migratory success compared to wild.

Spatial patterns in species richness and priority areas for conservation of anurans in the Cerrado region, Central Brazil

2004 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divino Brandão ◽  
Rogério Bastos ◽  
Márcia De Souza ◽  
Cleiber Vieira ◽  
Luis Bini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Detailed Data ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Conservation Units ◽  
Central Brazil ◽  
Alternative Systems ◽  
Macro Scale ◽  
Regional System ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
Effective Conservation

AbstractDeclines in anuran populations worldwide are increasingly creating demands for quick and urgent strategies to maximize efforts to conserve amphibian populations, especially in areas in which few detailed data on diversity, abundance and distribution are available, such as the Cerrado of Central Brazil. We used extent of occurrence of 105 species of Anura (Amphibia) in the Cerrado region to establish a regional system of potential areas that preserves all anuran species in the region, at a macroecological scale. The final network, obtained using a simple "greedy" algorithm based on complementarity, has a total of 10 regions, widely distributed in the biome. These areas were also evaluated in terms of their human demographic parameters (human population size and growth rate). Strong spatial autocorrelation in species richness indicates that alternative systems based on pre-existing conservation units will also be efficient in terms of biodiversity conservation. Although macro-scale approaches are usually coarse, they can provide overall guidelines for conservation and define the focus for more local and effective conservation efforts, which is particularly important when dealing with a taxonomic group such as anurans for which quick and drastic population declines have been reported in many regions of the world.

scholarly journals A spatial hierarchical model for integrating and bias-correcting data from passive and active disease surveillance systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 100341
Author(s):  
Xintong Li ◽  
Howard H. Chang ◽  
Qu Cheng ◽  
Philip A. Collender ◽  
Ting Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Model ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Active Disease

scholarly journals Health evaluation of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) in southern Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nola J. Parsons ◽  
Tertius A. Gous ◽  
Adam M. Schaefer ◽  
Ralph E.T. Vanstreels
Keyword(s):  
Disease Virus ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Hepatic Function ◽  
Rehabilitation Centre ◽  
Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus ◽  
Apparent Prevalence ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Spheniscus Demersus

The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is an endangered seabird that breeds along the coast of Namibia and South Africa, and disease surveillance was identified as a priority for its conservation. Aiming for the establishment of baseline data on the presence of potential pathogens in this species, a comprehensive health assessment (blood smear examination, haematology, biochemistry and serology) was conducted on samples obtained from 578 African penguins at 11 breeding colonies and a rehabilitation centre. There were 68 penguins that were seropositive for at least one of seven pathogens tested: avian encephalomyelitis virus, avian infectious bronchitis virus, avian reovirus, infectious bursal disease virus, Newcastle disease virus, Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae. All samples were seronegative for avian influenza virus subtypes H5 and H7 and infectious laryngotracheitis virus. The apparent prevalence of Babesia sp. and Borrelia sp. in blood smears was consistent with previous studies. Babesia-infected individuals had a regenerative response of the erythrocytic lineage, an active inflammatory response and hepatic function impairment. These findings indicate that African penguins may be exposed to conservation-significant pathogens in the wild and encourage further studies aiming for the direct detection and/or isolation of these microorganisms.

scholarly journals An Extracellular Glycoprotein Is Implicated in Cell-Cell Contacts in the Toxic Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806

2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (8) ◽  
pp. 2871-2879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Zilliges ◽  
Jan-Christoph Kehr ◽  
Stefan Mikkat ◽  
Christiane Bouchier ◽  
Nicole Tandeau de Marsac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microcystis Aeruginosa ◽  
Cellular Interactions ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
Cellular Aggregation ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Microcystin Production ◽  
Lakes And Reservoirs ◽  
Extracellular Glycoprotein

ABSTRACT Microcystins are the most common cyanobacterial toxins found in freshwater lakes and reservoirs throughout the world. They are frequently produced by the unicellular, colonial cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa; however, the role of the peptide for the producing organism is poorly understood. Differences in the cellular aggregation of M. aeruginosa PCC 7806 and a microcystin-deficient ΔmcyB mutant guided the discovery of a surface-exposed protein that shows increased abundance in PCC 7806 mutants deficient in microcystin production compared to the abundance of this protein in the wild type. Mass spectrometric and immunoblot analyses revealed that the protein, designated microcystin-related protein C (MrpC), is posttranslationally glycosylated, suggesting that it may be a potential target of a putative O-glycosyltransferase of the SPINDLY family encoded downstream of the mrpC gene. Immunofluorescence microscopy detected MrpC at the cell surface, suggesting an involvement of the protein in cellular interactions in strain PCC 7806. Further analyses of field samples of Microcystis demonstrated a strain-specific occurrence of MrpC possibly associated with distinct Microcystis colony types. Our results support the implication of microcystin in the colony specificity of and colony formation by Microcystis.

scholarly journals Diversity, multifaceted evolution, and facultative saprotrophism in the European Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans epidemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moira Kelly ◽  
Frank Pasmans ◽  
Jose F. Muñoz ◽  
Terrance P. Shea ◽  
Salvador Carranza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
De Novo ◽  
Host Density ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Fungal Genome ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Evolutionary Mechanisms ◽  
Batrachochytrium Salamandrivorans ◽  
Genome Assemblies

AbstractWhile emerging fungi threaten global biodiversity, the paucity of fungal genome assemblies impedes thoroughly characterizing epidemics and developing effective mitigation strategies. Here, we generate de novo genomic assemblies for six outbreaks of the emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). We reveal the European epidemic currently damaging amphibian populations to comprise multiple, highly divergent lineages demonstrating isolate-specific adaptations and metabolic capacities. In particular, we show extensive gene family expansions and acquisitions, through a variety of evolutionary mechanisms, and an isolate-specific saprotrophic lifecycle. This finding both explains the chytrid’s ability to divorce transmission from host density, producing Bsal’s enigmatic host population declines, and is a key consideration in developing successful mitigation measures.

scholarly journals Characterization of Iberian species of the genus Pungentus Thorne & Swanger, 1936 (Nematoda, Dorylaimida, Nordiidae)

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reyes Peña-Santiago ◽  
Marcel Ciobanu ◽  
Joaquin Abolafia
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Scanning Electron ◽  
Cultivated Soils

Several populations of four known species of the genus Pungentus (P. clavatus, P. engadinensis, P. marietani and P. silvestris), collected in the wild and in cultivated soils from the Iberian Peninsula, are studied. Detailed redescriptions and morphometrics are presented for each species. Illustrations are provided, including line drawings, light microscopy pictures of the four species as well as scanning electron microscopy observations of P. engadinensis. The Iberian populations are compared to type and other known populations, and new data are given that provide a better characterization of these taxa. Pungentus engadinensis is the most widely distributed species in the Iberian Peninsula.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document