Origin of the amphibian chytrid fungus

The sudden appearance of chytridiomycosis, the cause of amphibian deaths and population declines in several continents, suggests that its etiologic agent, the amphibian chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, was introduced into the affected regions. However, the origin of this virulent pathogen is...

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Published inEmerging infectious diseases Vol. 10; no. 12; pp. 2100 - 2105
Main Authors Weldon, Ché, du Preez, Louis H, Hyatt, Alex D, Muller, Reinhold, Spears, Rick
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.12.2004
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Subjects
Africa - epidemiology
amphibian chytrid
amphibian declines
Amphibians - microbiology
Animals
Anura
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Central America - epidemiology
chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycota
Chytridiomycota - isolation & purification
Development and progression
disease
Diseases
Europe - epidemiology
Mycoses
Mycoses - epidemiology
Mycoses - veterinary
North America - epidemiology
Oceania
Retrospective Studies
South America - epidemiology
Testing
Time Factors
Xenopus
Xenopus - microbiology
Xenopus laevis
South America
Central America
North America
Europe
Africa
Oceania
South Africa
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Summary:The sudden appearance of chytridiomycosis, the cause of amphibian deaths and population declines in several continents, suggests that its etiologic agent, the amphibian chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, was introduced into the affected regions. However, the origin of this virulent pathogen is unknown. A survey was conducted of 697 archived specimens of 3 species of Xenopus collected from 1879 to 1999 in southern Africa in which the histologic features of the interdigital webbing were analyzed. The earliest case of chytridiomycosis found was in a Xenopus laevis frog in 1938, and overall prevalence was 2.7%. The prevalence showed no significant differences between species, regions, season, or time period. Chytridiomycosis was a stable endemic infection in southern Africa for 23 years before any positive specimen was found outside Africa. We propose that Africa is the origin of the amphibian chytrid and that the international trade in X. laevis that began in the mid-1930s was the means of dissemination.
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ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059
DOI:10.3201/eid1012.030804