Clinical diagnosis and treatment of epidermal chytridiomycosis in African clawed frogs (Xenopus tropicalis).
An investigation was conducted to determine the cause of morbidity and mortality in a collection of 55 adult male Xenopus (Silurana) tropicalis at the University of California, Berkeley. More than 80% of affected frogs died during the epizootic. All frogs were anorectic and lethargic, had dark pigmentation and excess skin sloughing, and lacked a slime layer. Histologic examination revealed severe hyperplastic and spongiotic dermatitis associated with colonization of the stratum corneum by large numbers of zoosporangia diagnostic of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Treatment with a commercial formalin/malachite green solution at a dilution of 0.007 ml/L of tank water for 24 h, repeated every other day for four treatments, eliminated the organism and was curative. These findings are indicative of epidermal chytridiomycosis as a primary cause of death in this collection of X. tropicalis.
Parker
John M
JM
Office of Laboratory Animal Care, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA.
Mikaelian
Igor
I
Hahn
Nina
N
Diggs
Helen E
HE
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D008411:Chytridiomycota / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014981:Xenopus
D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C005095:malachite green; D005557:Formaldehyde