## Breadcrumb

-  Publications 
-  Articles 

#           Site- and individual-level contaminations affect infection prevalence of an emerging infectious disease of amphibians      

      February 23, 2022    

Emerging infectious disease outbreaks are one of multiple stressors responsible for amphibian declines globally. In the northeastern United States, ranaviral diseases are prevalent in amphibians and other ectothermic species, but there is still uncertainty as to whether their presence is leading to population level effects. Further, there is also uncertainty surrounding the potential interactions among disease infection prevalence in free-ranging animals and habitat degradation (co-occurrence of chemical stressors). The current study was designed to provide field-based estimates of the relationship between amphibian disease and chemical stressors. We visited 40 wetlands across three protected areas, estimated the prevalence of ranavirus among populations of larval wood frogs and spotted salamanders, and assessed chemical and biological stressors in wetland habitats and larval amphibians using a suite of selected bioassays, screening tools and chemical analyses. Estimated ranavirus occupancy varied among the three protected areas and ranged from 0.27 to 0.55 with considerable variation within each protected area. Of the stressors evaluated, ranavirus prevalence was strongly and positively related to concentrations of metalloestrogens (metals with the potential to bind to estrogen receptors) and total metals in wetland sediments and weakly and negatively related to total pesticide concentrations in larval amphibians. These results can be used by land managers to refine habitat assessments to include such environmental factors with the potential to influence disease susceptibility.

## Citation Information

## Related Content

                  -              Data           
                  -              Connect           

November 4, 2021

####                 Current use pesticides in larval amphibian tissues, amphibian pathogen and wetland sediment screening data from three northeastern National Wildlife Refuges, 2013-2014              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, New Jersey Water Science Center

#### Kelly Smalling

##### Research Hydrologist

New Jersey Water Science Center

ksmall@usgs.gov

609-331-4850

####             Luke R Iwanowicz, Ph.D. (Former Employee)          

##### Research Biologist

Eastern Ecological Science Center

#### Keith A Loftin, Ph.D.

##### Research Chemist

Kansas Water Science Center

kloftin@usgs.gov

785-832-3543

#### Adam Boehlke

##### Geologist

Central Energy Resources Science Center

aboehlke@usgs.gov

303-236-1629

#### Michelle L Hladik, PhD

##### Research Chemist

California Water Science Center

mhladik@usgs.gov

916-278-3183

#### Evan Grant, Ph.D.

##### Research Wildlife Biologist

Eastern Ecological Science Center

ehgrant@usgs.gov

413-863-3823

## Related Content

November 4, 2021

####                 Current use pesticides in larval amphibian tissues, amphibian pathogen and wetland sediment screening data from three northeastern National Wildlife Refuges, 2013-2014              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, New Jersey Water Science Center

#### Kelly Smalling

##### Research Hydrologist

New Jersey Water Science Center

ksmall@usgs.gov

609-331-4850

####             Luke R Iwanowicz, Ph.D. (Former Employee)          

##### Research Biologist

Eastern Ecological Science Center

#### Keith A Loftin, Ph.D.

##### Research Chemist

Kansas Water Science Center

kloftin@usgs.gov

785-832-3543

#### Adam Boehlke

##### Geologist

Central Energy Resources Science Center

aboehlke@usgs.gov

303-236-1629

#### Michelle L Hladik, PhD

##### Research Chemist

California Water Science Center

mhladik@usgs.gov

916-278-3183

#### Evan Grant, Ph.D.

##### Research Wildlife Biologist

Eastern Ecological Science Center

ehgrant@usgs.gov

413-863-3823

### Study Area

### Contact

####               Sacramento Projects Office (USGS California Water Science Center)          

6000 J Street, Placer HallSacramento, CA95819United States

916-278-3000

916-278-3070

####               Kansas Water Science Center          

1217 Biltmore DriveLawrence, KS66049United States

(785) 842-9909

#### New Jersey Water Science Center

3450 Princeton PikeSuite 110Lawrenceville, NJ08648United States

(609) 771-3900

(609) 771-3915

#### Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

West 6th Avenue and Kipling StreetDenver Federal Center Building 20Denver, CO80225United States

303-236-1800

303-236-3200

####               Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Leetown Research Laboratory          

11649 Leetown RoadKearneysville, WV25430United States

### Explore Search

                  - Biology
                  - Ecosystems
                  - United States
                  - Assabett River National Wildlife Refuge
                  -  Chesapeake National Historic Park
                  -  Ohio Canal National Historic Park
                  -  Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge
                  -  Patuxent Research Refuge
                  - Maryland
                  -  Massachusetts

View All **