Elevated temperature clears chytrid fungus infections from tadpoles of the midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans
نویسندگان
چکیده
The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is sensitive to high temperature. Hence, exposing amphibians to high temperature may be a method to clear Bd infection. However, the effect of exposure to elevated temperature has never been tested in larval stages or temperate species.We experimentally exposed tadpoles of the toad Alytes obstetricans to low, medium and high temperatures and found that most, but not all, tadpoles lost the infection when exposed to temperatures higher than 26◦C for 5 days. Thus, exposure to elevated temperatures can be used to treat tadpoles against Bd infection. Amphibia-Reptilia 32 (2011): 276-280 Elevated temperature clears chytrid fungus infections from tadpoles of the midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans Corina C. Geiger1, Eliane Küpfer1, Sämi Schär1,2, Sarah Wolf1, Benedikt R. Schmidt1,3,* Abstract. The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is sensitive to high temperature. Hence, exposing amphibians to high temperature may be a method to clear Bd infection. However, the effect of exposure to elevated temperature has never been tested in larval stages or temperate species. We experimentally exposed tadpoles of the toad Alytes obstetricans to low, medium and high temperatures and found that most, but not all, tadpoles lost the infection when exposed to temperatures higher than 26◦C for 5 days. Thus, exposure to elevated temperatures can be used to treat tadpoles against Bd infection. The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is sensitive to high temperature. Hence, exposing amphibians to high temperature may be a method to clear Bd infection. However, the effect of exposure to elevated temperature has never been tested in larval stages or temperate species. We experimentally exposed tadpoles of the toad Alytes obstetricans to low, medium and high temperatures and found that most, but not all, tadpoles lost the infection when exposed to temperatures higher than 26◦C for 5 days. Thus, exposure to elevated temperatures can be used to treat tadpoles against Bd infection.
منابع مشابه
Short Term Minimum Water Temperatures Determine Levels of Infection by the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus in Alytes obstetricans Tadpoles
Amphibians are one of the groups of wildlife most seriously threatened by emerging infectious disease. In particular, chytridiomycosis, caused by the aquatic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, is responsible for amphibian species declines on a worldwide scale. Population-level outcomes following the introduction of the pathogen are context dependent and mediated by a large suite of abiotic ...
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