Researching Chytridiomycosis - first successful treatment for frogs
Channel: Understanding Animal Research
Date: 2016-05-23

Interview with Professor Matthew Fisher (Imperial University, London) about his research on the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis that causes the often lethal disease, Chytridiomycosis in amphibians. The disease travels with traded amphibians and has spread around the world.

UAR interviewed Prof Matthew Fisher of Imperial University London about his work on the fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) currently devastating amphibian species around the world. Matthew and his team have been the first to successfully treat infected frogs and their tadpoles. They 'cured' individual midwife toads (Alytes obstetricans) with a dilute solution of a fungicide Itraconazole and after cleaning their habitat in the mountains of Majorca were able to re-introduce the species where they had previously become locally extinct.

This is the first time amphibians have been successfully re-introduced following an outbreak of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

While this method is not an answer to removing the fungus from the wider environment it does make it possible for people to remove threatened species into captivity and maintain them in 'arks' until their descendants can be returned to the wild.

Read more here: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Bd-The-Amphibian-Plague-2037002

Download a transcript of the interview here: http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/files/5914/6348/0796/Matthew_Fisher_interview_Imperial_Fungi_Frogs.pdf

References

Bosch J, Sanchez-Tomé E, Fernández-Loras A, Oliver JA, Fisher MC, Garner TWJ. (2015) Successful elimination of a lethal wildlife infectious disease in nature. Biology Letters. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0874

Fisher MC, Henk DA, Briggs C, Brownstein JS, Madoff L, McCraw SL, Gurr S. (2012) Emerging fungal threats to animal, plant and ecosystem health. Nature 484: 186-194

2019: AMPHIBIAN TRADE AND DISEASE
Richard Griffiths, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent
Authors: Richard A. Griffiths1, Emma Wombwell1,2 & Trent Garner2
1Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent 2The Zoological Society of London
There is increasing and compelling evidence that trade in some species of amphibians is leading to the spread of disease around the world. In turn, this can lead to die-offs, population declines or even extinctions. In addition to understanding pathology and epidemiology, tackling this issue requires an analysis of trade routes, demand and supply, and potential mitigation actions. About 12% of consignments of amphibians arriving in the UK contain Bd positive animals, with about 3.6% of amphibians in these consignments Bd positive. Further down the trade chain, about a third of pet retailers in the UK stock amphibians, and Bd is present in about 6% of these. Effective disease mitigation measures are difficult to implement and enforce, and need to be informed by a wider risk assessment strategy. However, fluctuations in both supply and demand of different species leads to a highly dynamic trade which makes fluctuations in the risk of disease highly likely. Although many retailers have sound husbandry protocols, biosecurity is often weak with information about disease gleaned from informal sources. Captive bred stock comprises a large and increasing component of the live trade in amphibians, but the movement of animals through intermediaries and re-exporters may increase disease risk. Compared to more lucrative taxa, trade in live amphibians is not highly profitable which may reduce incentives for constructing biosecure facilities. The relationship between stress and vulnerability to coinfections along the trade chain is poorly understood.