Emerging disease of amphibians cured by elevated body temperature

• Published in: Diseases of aquatic organisms 2003-06, Vol.55 (1), p.65-67
• Main Authors: WOODHAMS, Douglas C, ALFORD, Ross A, MARANTELLI, Gerry
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amphibians - microbiology; Amphibians - physiology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Anura; Applied ecology; Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Biological and medical sciences; Body Temperature - physiology; Body Temperature Regulation - physiology; Chytridiomycota - pathogenicity; Communicable Diseases, Emerging - microbiology; Communicable Diseases, Emerging - mortality; Communicable Diseases, Emerging - therapy; Communicable Diseases, Emerging - veterinary; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Dermatomycoses - microbiology; Dermatomycoses - mortality; Dermatomycoses - therapy; Dermatomycoses - veterinary; Disease Progression; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hot Temperature; Litoria chloris; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0177-5103; 1616-1580
• DOI: 10.3354/dao055065

The emerging infectious disease chytridiomycosis is thought to have contributed to many of the recent alarming declines in amphibian populations. Mortalities associated with these declines have often occurred during cooler seasons and at high elevations, suggesting that environmental temperature may be an important factor in disease emergence. We found that thermal environment affects the progress of the disease, and that housing frogs Litoria chloris at an environmental temperature of 37 degrees C for less than 16 h can clear them of the chytrid pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Our experiment demonstrated that elevated body temperatures similar to those experienced in behavioral fever and during normal thermoregulation can clear frogs of chytrid infection; therefore, variation in thermoregulatory opportunities and behaviors are likely to contribute to the differences in disease incidence observed among host species, populations, and regions. Although further refinement of the technique is needed to encompass various host species, appropriately applied thermal manipulations of amphibians and their enclosures may prove to be a safe and effective way of eliminating the fungal pathogen from captive amphibian populations and: preventing accidental spread of the pathogen when animals are translocated or released from captivity.