Journal article
Pathogenesis of Chytridiomycosis, a Cause of Catastrophic Amphibian Declines
Jamie Voyles, Sam Young, Lee Berger, Craig Campbell, Wyatt F Voyles, Anuwat Dinudom, David Cook, Rebecca Webb, Ross A Alford, Lee F Skerratt, Rick Speare
SCIENCE | AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE | Published : 2009
Abstract
The pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the skin disease chytridiomycosis, is one of the few highly virulent fungi in vertebrates and has been implicated in worldwide amphibian declines. However, the mechanism by which Bd causes death has not been determined. We show that Bd infection is associated with pathophysiological changes that lead to mortality in green tree frogs (Litoria caerulea). In diseased individuals, electrolyte transport across the epidermis was inhibited by >50%, plasma sodium and potassium concentrations were respectively reduced by approximately 20% and approximately 50%, and asystolic cardiac arrest resulted in death. Because the skin is critical i..
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Awarded by Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Awarded by Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage
Awarded by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Awarded by New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service
Awarded by Australian Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
We thank A. Hyatt and V. Olsen for assistance with PCR and S. Bell, J. Browne, S. Cashins, S. Garland, M. Holdsworth, C. Manicom, L. Owens, R. Puschendorf, K. Rose, E. Rosenblum, D. Rudd, A. Storfer, J. VanDerwal, B. Voyles, and J. Warner for project assistance and editing. Supported by Australian Research Council Discovery Project grant DP0452826, Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage grant RFT 43/2004, and the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia. Animals were collected with permission from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service ( scientific permits WISP03866106 and WISP04143907; movement permit WIWM04381507) and New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service ( import license IE0705693).