Prevalence of the pathogenic chytrid fungus, <it>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</it>, in an endangered population of northern leopard frogs, <it>Rana pipiens</it>

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Emerging infectious diseases threaten naïve host populations with extinction. Chytridiomycosis, an emerging infectious disease of amphibians, is caused by the pathogenic fungus <it>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis </it>(<it>Bd</it>) and has been linked to global declines in amphibians.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We monitored the prevalence of <it>Bd </it>for four years in the Northern leopard frog, <it>Rana pipiens</it>, which is critically imperiled in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The prevalence of <it>Bd </it>initially increased and then remained constant over the last three years of the study. Young of the year emerging from breeding ponds in summer were rarely infected with <it>Bd</it>. Some individuals cleared their <it>Bd </it>infections and the return rate between infected and uninfected individuals was not significantly different.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The BC population of <it>R. pipiens </it>appears to have evolved a level of resistance that allows it to co-exist with <it>Bd</it>. However, this small population of <it>R. pipiens </it>remains vulnerable to extinction.</p>

Abstract licence: CC BY

• Mitigating amphibian disease: strategies to maintain wild populations and control chytridiomycosis · 2011

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