Journal article
Treatment of chytridiomycosis requires urgent clinical trials
L Berger, R Speare, A Pessier, J Voyles, LF Skerratt
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms | INTER-RESEARCH | Published : 2010
DOI: 10.3354/dao02238
Abstract
Effective and safe treatments of amphibian chytridiomycosis, caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), are needed to prevent mortality in captive programs, reduce the risk of disease spread, and better manage the disease in threatened wild populations. Bd is susceptible to a range of antifungal agents and low levels of heat (>30°C) when tested in vitro, but there are few proven methods for clearing adult amphibians of Bd, and acute drug toxicity is a problem for tadpoles and juveniles. In postmetamorphic animals, heat (32 and 37°C) is the only well-supported treatment. Antifungal drugs have not undergone rigorous testing-for example, trials were small or lacked controls and thorough pos..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The Amphibian Disease Ecology Group is supported by the Australian Research Council, the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, the Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre, and James Cook University. The Amphibian Disease Laboratory at the Zoological Society of San Diego is supported in part by grant LG-25-08-0066 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this paper do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.