title: Chytrid fungus infections in laboratory and introducedXenopus laevispopulations: assessing the risks for U.K. native amphibians.
abstract: The chytrid fungusBatrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bd) is notorious amongst current conservation biology challenges, responsible for mass mortality and extinction of amphibian species. World trade in amphibians is implicated in global dissemination. Exports of South AfricanXenopus laevishave led to establishment of this invasive species on four continents.Bdnaturally infects this host in Africa and now occurs in several introduced populations. However, no previous studies have investigated transfer of infection into co-occurring native amphibian faunas. A survey of 27 U.K. institutions maintainingX.laevisfor research showed that most laboratories have low-level infection, a risk for native species if animals are released into the wild. RT-PCR assays showedBdin two introduced U.K. populations ofX.laevis, in Wales and Lincolnshire. Laboratory and field studies demonstrated that infection levels increase with stress, especially low temperature. In the U.K., native amphibians may be exposed to intense transmission in spring when they enter ponds to spawn alongsideX.laevisthat have cold-elevatedBdinfections. Exposure to cross-infection has probably been recurrent since the introduction ofX.laevis, >20 years in Lincolnshire and 50 years in Wales. These sites provide an important test for assessing the impact ofX.laevisonBdspread. However, RT-PCR assays on 174 native amphibians (Bufo,Rana,LissotritonandTriturusspp.), sympatric with theBd-infected introduced populations, showed no foci of self-sustainingBdtransmission associated withX.laevis. The abundance of these native amphibians suggested no significant negative population-level effect after the decades of co-occurrence.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Tinsley
authors.affiliation: European Xenopus Resource Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Coxhead
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
authors.forename: Lucy C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Stott
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tinsley
authors.affiliation: European Xenopus Resource Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK.
authors.forename: Maya Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Piccinni
authors.affiliation: European Xenopus Resource Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Guille
keywords: African clawed frog; Chytrid fungus (Bd); Emerging infectious disease (EID); Global spread of pathogens; Invasive species; Threats to native species
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