Origin of the amphibian chytrid fungus

Emerging Infectious Diseases, Dec, 2004 by Che Weldon, Louis H. du Preez, Alex D. Hyatt, Reinhold Muller, Rick Speare

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation (South Africa) and the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force.

Mr. Weldon is a Ph.D. candidate and research assistant at the School of Environmental Sciences and Development, North-West University, South Africa. His research interests include the role of disease in amphibian declines, the effect of pesticides on amphibian biology, and the captive husbandry of Xenopus.

References

(1.) Daszak P, Berger L, Cunningham AA, Hyatt AD, Green DE, Speare R. Emerging infectious diseases and amphibian population declines. Emerg Infect Dis. 1999;5:735-48.

(2.) Speare R. Core Working Group of Getting the Jump on Amphibian Disease. Nomination for listing of amphibian chytridiomycosis as a key threatening process under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. In: Speare R, Steering Committee of Getting the Jump on Amphibian Disease, editors. Developing management strategies to control amphibian diseases: decreasing the risks due to communicable diseases. Townsville, Australia: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University; 2001. p. 163-84. Available from http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/phtm/PHTM/frogs/adms/attach7.pdf.> (3.) Berger L, Speare R, Daszak P, Green DE, Cunningham AA, Gonnin CL et al. Chytridiomycosis causes amphibian mortality associated with population declines in the rain forests of Australia and Central America. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998;95:9031-6.

(4.) Lips KR. Mass mortality of the anuran fauna at an upland site in Panama. Cons Biol. 1999;13:11725.

(5.) Bonaccorso E, Guayasamin JM, Mendez D, Speare R. Chytridiomycosis in a Venezuelan amphibian (Bufonidae: Atelopus cruciger). Herpetol Rev. 2003;34:331-4.

(6.) Bosh J, Martinez-Solano I, Garcia-Pris M. Evidence of a chytrid fungus infection involved in the decline of the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) in protected areas of central Spain. Biol Conserv. 2000;97:331-7.

(7.) Channing A, Van Dijk DE. Amphibia. In: Cowan GI, editor. Wetlands of South Africa. Pretoria, South Africa.: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism; 1995. p. 193-206.

(8.) Harrison JA, Burger M, Minter LR, De Villiers AL, Baard EHW, Scott E. et al., editors. Conservation assessment and management plan for southern African frogs. Apple Valley (MN): World Conservation Union/Species Survival Commission Conservation Breeding Specialist Group: 2001.

(9.) Weldon C. Chytridiomycosis survey in South Africa. Froglog. 2002;51:1-2.

(10.) Hopkins S, Channing A. Chytrid fungus in Northern and Western cape frog populations, South Africa. Herp Rev 2003;34:334-6.

(11.) Lane EP, Weldon C, Bingham J. Histological evidence of chytridiomycosis in a free-ranging amphibian (Afrana fuscigula [Anura: Ranidae]) in South Africa. J S A Vet Assoc. 2003;74:20-1.

(12.) Speare R, Berger L. Global distribution of chytridiomycosis in amphibians. 2002 Oct [cited 2003 Feb 11]. Available from http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/phtm/PHTM/frogs/chyglob.htm

(13.) Carey C, Cohen N, Rollins-Smith L. Amphibian declines: an immunological perspective. Dev Comp Immunol. 1999;23:459-72.