Seasonal prevalence of the amphibian chytrid in a tropical pond-dwelling tadpole species

Author(s)

Ruggeri, Joice ^[1] ; Da Silva Martins, Ana Glaucia ^[2] ; Rosa Domingos, Adao Henrique ^[2] ; Santos, Isaias ^[2] ; Viroomal, Imran Bharat ^[2] ; Toledo, Luis Felipe ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Lab Hist Nat Antibios Brasileiros LaHNAB, Dept Biol Anim, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Inst Pesquisa Biodiversidade IPBio, BR-18330000 Iporanga, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS; v. 142, p. 171-176, 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Infection by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a major threat to amphibians and has caused catastrophic global declines of amphibian populations. Some studies have detected a seasonal pattern of infection associated with the local climate, and although most of them have focused on investigating the seasonality of Bd in relation to its impacts on amphibians, fewer have aimed to understand the chytrid persistence in the amphibian assemblage over seasons by investigating reservoir hosts. Since tadpoles are generally tolerant to Bd infection, they often play a relevant role in local disease dynamics. Thus, we hypothesized that tadpoles of Boana faber, a species that can be found in permanent ponds throughout the seasons, would function as Bd reservoirs. We therefore investigated Bd infection prevalence in tadpoles of this species over 2 yr in a nature reserve. As expected, we detected a seasonal variation of Bd infection, with a higher prevalence of Bd during the coldest months (winter) when compared to the warmer months (summer). Interestingly, our seasonal-trend decomposition analysis showed that Bd prevalence is increasing annually in the area, which could represent either a natural fluctuation of this pathogen, or an imminent threat to that anuran assemblage. With this study, we highlight the tadpole of B. faber as a potential reservoir for Bd, and we suggest that monitoring Bd in such hosts could be a powerful tool for identifying priority areas for amphibian conservation. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/01917-6 - Interaction between the chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and the Ranavirus in anuran assemblages from the Southern Atlantic forest
• Grantee: Joice Ruggeri Gomes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 16/25358-3 - The chytrid fungus: from its origins to its consequences
• Grantee: Luis Felipe de Toledo Ramos Pereira
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants