Historic occurrence of the amphibian chytrid ­fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in ­hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis ­populations from Missouri

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

Mary C. Duncan¹  Catherine M. Bodinof¹  Jeff Beringer¹  Joshua J. Millspaugh¹  Jeffrey T. Briggler¹ 

关键词: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis;    Chytrid;    Hellbender;    Cryptobranchus alleganiensis;    Missouri;    Amphibian decline;   

DOI  :  10.3354/dao02380

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: The pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) was recently detected in Missouri hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis populations that have declined precipitously for unclear reasons. The objective of this study was to determine whether Bd occurred historically in Missouri hellbender populations or is a relatively novel occurrence. Epidermal tissue was removed from 216 archived hellbenders collected from 7 Missouri streams between 1896 and 1994. Histological techniques and an immunoperoxidase stain were used to confirm historic occurrence of Bd infection in hellbenders from the North Fork of the White (1969, 1973, 1975), Meramec (1975, 1986), Big Piney (1986), and Current rivers (1988). Bd was not detected in hellbenders from the Niangua, Gasconade or Eleven Point rivers. The study detected no evidence for endemism of Bd in Missouri hellbender populations prior to 1969, despite the fact that nearly one third of the hellbenders sampled were collected earlier. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that Bd is a non-endemic pathogen in North America that was introduced in the second half of the twentieth century.

【 授权许可】

Unknown