A mushroom, which has been dragged from Asia, has amphibians worldwide and threatens whole stocks. An international team of researchers warns of danger in a contribution in scientific journal Science – and before it continues to spread fungus through trade in animals.
Dirk Schmeller works at Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig and was involved in investigation. The biologist explained researchers ‘ demand to enact a worldwide ban on amphibian trafficking: “of almost 8000 known amphibian species, at least 120 have already been extinguished by fungus. He is coffin for amphibians. ” Trade would create new particularly dangerous lines, which in turn could circumvent possible resistances that some species currently seem to develop. In Panama, for example, some animals had been subjected to immunity from fungus – nine of twelve amphibian species studied had recovered. “This gratifying development could destroy a new mushroom variant very quickly,” said Schmeller. Like or researchers, he also sees a trade ban as only way out. The fungus was detected in both wild and captive animals.
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That is why pet keepers must also take care, said Schmeller. The animals would not always be kept in private and could flee. “Once pathogen is in nature, it is only very, very difficult to combat”. and amphibians made a very important contribution to balance of nature: “Last but not least, y keep population of insects and especially of disease-transmitting mosquitoes at bay,” biologist explained.
The mushroom Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (BD), also known as chytrid fungus, is highly contagious and nests in skin of amphibians. The metabolism that runs over skin is disturbed. Within a short time invertebrates die. Since early 2000s fungus has also been found in Europe. In Germany, especially in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, fire salamander is threatened by a related fungus variant, which would also be spread by trade.
The researchers from around 40 institutes had found out with help of genetic testing, that mushroom-lineage (Lobal Panzootic lineages) had originated from 50 to 120 years ago on Korean peninsula. More than 500 species of amphibian have been infected.
