Prevalence of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in stream and wetland amphibians in Maryland, USA
The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, responsible for the potentially fatal amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, is known to occur in a large and ever increasing number of amphibian populations around the world. However, sampling has been biased towards stream- and wetland-breeding anurans, with little attention paid to stream-associated salamanders. We sampled three frog and three salamander species in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park, Maryland, by swabbing animals for PCR analysis to detect DNA of B. dendrobatidis. Using PCR, we detected B. dendrobatidis DNA in both stream and wetland amphibians, and report here the first occurrence of the pathogen in two species of stream-associated salamanders. Future research should focus on mechanisms within habitats that may affect persistence and dissemination of B. dendrobatidis among stream-associated salamanders
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2008 |
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Title | Prevalence of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in stream and wetland amphibians in Maryland, USA |
DOI | 10.1163/157075408785911020 |
Authors | Evan H. Campbell Grant, Larissa L. Bailey, Joy L. Ware, Karen L. Duncan |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Applied Herpetology |
Index ID | 5224922 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |