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Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infection and Lethal Chytridiomycosis in Caecilian Amphibians (Gymnophiona)

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Abstract

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is commonly termed the ‘amphibian chytrid fungus’ but thus far has been documented to be a pathogen of only batrachian amphibians (anurans and caudatans). It is not proven to infect the limbless, generally poorly known, and mostly soil-dwelling caecilians (Gymnophiona). We conducted the largest qPCR survey of Bd in caecilians to date, for more than 200 field-swabbed specimens from five countries in Africa and South America, representing nearly 20 species, 12 genera, and 8 families. Positive results were recovered for 58 specimens from Tanzania and Cameroon (4 families, 6 genera, 6+ species). Quantities of Bd were not exceptionally high, with genomic equivalent (GE) values of 0.052–17.339. In addition, we report the first evidence of lethal chytridiomycosis in caecilians. Mortality in captive (wild-caught, commercial pet trade) Geotrypetes seraphini was associated with GE scores similar to those we detected for field-swabbed, wild animals.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded, in part, by grants from the Declining Amphibian Population Task Force, National Geographic, Conservation International’s Lost Amphibians scheme, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Percy Sladen Memorial Fund of the Linnean Society, Systematics Association Research Fund, Institute of Zoology London, Zoological Society of London (Erasmus Darwin Barlow grant), Volkswagen Foundation, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Centre national de la recherché scientifique (Nouragues field station grant), The Morris Animal Foundation, and the Natural History Museum, London. Permits for research and export of samples were provided by the Cameroon Ministry of Forests and Wildlife to TMD-B (#0928), the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH research permit RCA 2007-153, RCA 2004-335-ER-98-13 to SPL, MM), TAWIRI, and the Wildlife Division of Tanzania, and Direction des Services Vétérinaires de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana to DJG and MW. DJG thanks Jennifer Pramuk for sharing unpublished information. For companionship and/or practical assistance in organizing and executing laboratory and fieldwork we thank many people local to field sites plus Andrés Rymel Acosta-Galvis, Gabriela Bittencourt, Patrick Chatelet, Jérôme Chave, Monica Donuyer, Céline Dupuy, Christopher Durrant, Devine Fotibu, Philippe Gaucher, Nono Gonwouo, Jon Gower, Roy and Zoe Hinde, Paul Kapange, Philippe Kok, Henry Kolem, Nicolas Krieger, Diego San Mauro, David and Roland Ndifon, Oscar Nyningchia, Maria Perkins, Matt Perkins, Ann Pocknell (Finn Pathologists), Clémence Poletto, Emma Sherratt, Guy Tiego, and Jeannot and Odette (Camp Patawa, French Guiana). For help with the care of captive caecilians at the Zoological Society of London we thank Toni Beadle, Joanna Korn, Heather Macintosh and Matthew Rendle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK

    David J. Gower, Thomas Doherty-Bone & Mark Wilkinson

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Biogeography, University of Basel, Basel, 4056, Switzerland

    Simon P. Loader

  3. Project Cameroon Herpetology, Conservation Biology Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Marcel T. Kouete

  4. Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK

    Frances Orton, Felicity Wynne, Andrew A. Cunningham & Trenton W. J. Garner

  5. Herpetology Department, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK

    Benjamin Tapley & Ian Stephen

  6. Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, London, W2 1PG, UK

    Olivia Z. Daniel & Mathew C. Fisher

  7. Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London, SW15 4JD, UK

    Felicity Wynne

  8. Veterinary Department, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK

    Edmund Flach

  9. Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Hendrik Müller

  10. Sezione di Zoologia dei Vertebrati, Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, Via Calepina 14, 38100, Trento, Italy

    Michele Menegon

  11. Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Robert K. Browne

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  1. David J. Gower
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David J. Gower.

Appendix

Appendix

Coordinates in degrees for localities are included in Table 1. Data for each locality are approximate and given to two decimal places.

Cameroon

Banga Bakundu (4.41 N, 9.45 E), Dja (3.39 N, 13.12 E), Doumo-Pierre (3.47 N, 13.06 E), Kon (4.83 N, 11.06 E), Mt. Oku (6.22 N, 10.46 E), Mundame (4.57 N, 9.51 E), Ndikinimeki (4.75 N, 10.82 E), Ntengue (5.37 N, 10.02 E).

Colombia

Guarinócito (5.34 N, 74.74 W).

French Guiana

Angoulême (5.41 N, 53.65 W), Nouragues (4.06 N, 52.68 W), Kaw (4.54 N, 52.18 W).

Guyana

Iwokrama (4.33 N, 58.8 W).

Tanzania

Bagamoyo (6.48 S, 38.82 E), Maskati (6.06 S, 37.48 E), Nguu North FR (5.49 S, 37.49 E), Pemba (6 S, 37.55 E), Uluguru North FR (6.94 S, 37.71 E).

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Gower, D.J., Doherty-Bone, T., Loader, S.P. et al. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infection and Lethal Chytridiomycosis in Caecilian Amphibians (Gymnophiona). EcoHealth 10, 173–183 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-013-0831-9

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