Alpine salamanders at risk? The current status of an emerging fungal pathogen
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Amphibians globally suffer from emerging infectious diseases like chytridiomycosis caused by the continuously spreading chytrid fungi. One is Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) and its disease – the ‘salamander plague’ – which is lethal to several caudate taxa. Recently introduced into Western Europe, long distance dispersal of Bsal, likely through human mediation, has been reported. Herein we study if Alpine salamanders (Salamandra atra and S. lanzai) are yet affected by the salamander plague in the wild. Members of the genus Salamandra are highly susceptible to Bsal leading to the lethal disease. Moreover, ecological modelling has shown that the Alps and Dinarides, where Alpine salamanders occur, are generally suitable for Bsal. We analysed skin swabs of 818 individuals of Alpine salamanders and syntopic amphibians at 40 sites between 2017 to 2022. Further, we compiled those with published data from 319 individuals from 13 sites concluding that Bsal infections were not detected. Our results suggest that the salamander plague so far is absent from the geographic ranges of Alpine salamanders. That means that there is still a chance to timely implement surveillance strategies. Among others, we recommend prevention measures, citizen science approaches, and ex situ conservation breeding of endemic salamandrid lineages.
Details
Original language | English |
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Article number | e0298591 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | PloS one |
Volume | 19 (2024) |
Issue number | 5 MAY |
Publication status | Published - 17 May 2024 |
Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
PubMed | 38758948 |
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ORCID | /0000-0002-7968-4489/work/162348867 |
Keywords
Sustainable Development Goals
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Keywords
- Batrachochytrium/genetics, Animals, Europe/epidemiology, Chytridiomycota, Communicable Diseases, Emerging/microbiology, Mycoses/veterinary, Urodela/microbiology, Salamandra/microbiology