Frog killer chytridiomycosis - airborne?

Permalink: Frog killer chytridiomycosis - airborne?

It’s been no secret that for the past few years - even decades - amphibians around the world have been in serious decline.

Facing a doubly whammy of habitat destruction on a huge scale, coupled with a killer disease ravaging populations globally, it really is a serious situation for this entire animal group.

The disease itself - chytridiomycosis - has already been identified and continues to be studied.

However, disturbing news reported today is that the infection may not simply be water-borne - but may also disperse via fungal spores in the air:

A fungus that is devastating amphibian populations around the world is a relatively new disease that is spreading rapidly, rather than an old disease that has recently become more virulent, according to research on frogs in California’s Sierra Nevada.

Worse, not only is the fungus being spread by infected water, it may also be transmitted in the form of spores carried on the wind or birds’ feathers, for example, a genetic analysis of the Californian frogs suggests. This would help to explain outbreaks of the disease, called chytridiomycosis, in remote, inaccessible habitats like the Sierra Nevada lakes.

It’s a disturbing kicker of a revelation - and all the more reason why we should look to especially protect amphibians where possible against this killer disease.