title: Filling a gap in the distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis: evidence in amphibians from northern China.
abstract: Chytridiomycosis caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been recognized as a major driver of amphibian declines worldwide. Central and northern Asia remain as the greatest gap in the knowledge of the global distribution of Bd. In China, Bd has recently been recorded from south and central regions, but areas in the north remain poorly surveyed. In addition, a recent increase in amphibian farming and trade has put this region at high risk for Bd introduction. To investigate this, we collected a total of 1284 non-invasive skin swabs from wild and captive anurans and caudates, including free-ranging, farmed, ornamental, and museum-preserved amphibians. Bd was detected at low prevalence (1.1%, 12 of 1073) in live wild amphibians, representing the first report of Bd infecting anurans from remote areas of northwestern China. We were unable to obtain evidence of the historical presence of Bd from museum amphibians (n = 72). Alarmingly, Bd was not detected in wild amphibians from the provinces of northeastern China (>700 individuals tested), but was widely present (15.1%, 21 of 139) in amphibians traded in this region. We suggest that urgent implementation of measures is required to reduce the possibility of further spread or inadvertent introduction of Bd to China. It is unknown whether Bd in northern China belongs to endemic and/or exotic genotypes, and this should be the focus of future research.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Liqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soto-Azat
authors.forename: Shaofei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Supen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Conghui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xuejiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000663:Amphibians / Q000382:microbiology*; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D008411:Chytridiomycota / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009144:Museums; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal