title: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection and lethal chytridiomycosis in caecilian amphibians (Gymnophiona).
abstract: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is commonly termed the 'amphibian chytrid fungus' but thus far has been documented to be a pathogen of only batrachian amphibians (anurans and caudatans). It is not proven to infect the limbless, generally poorly known, and mostly soil-dwelling caecilians (Gymnophiona). We conducted the largest qPCR survey of Bd in caecilians to date, for more than 200 field-swabbed specimens from five countries in Africa and South America, representing nearly 20 species, 12 genera, and 8 families. Positive results were recovered for 58 specimens from Tanzania and Cameroon (4 families, 6 genera, 6+ species). Quantities of Bd were not exceptionally high, with genomic equivalent (GE) values of 0.052-17.339. In addition, we report the first evidence of lethal chytridiomycosis in caecilians. Mortality in captive (wild-caught, commercial pet trade) Geotrypetes seraphini was associated with GE scores similar to those we detected for field-swabbed, wild animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK. d.gower@nhm.ac.uk
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gower
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doherty-Bone
authors.forename: Simon P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Loader
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Marcel T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kouete
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tapley
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orton
authors.forename: Olivia Z
authors.initials: OZ
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Felicity
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wynne
authors.forename: Edmund
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flach
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menegon
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stephen
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: Mathew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Trenton W J
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Garner
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology; D001001:Anura / Q000382:microbiology*; D008411:Chytridiomycota / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013020:South America / Q000453:epidemiology