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Presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in feral populations of Xenopus laevis in Chile

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Abstract

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a causal agent of disease and population decline of amphibian populations, and the extinction of several anuran species worldwide. Diverse hypotheses have been provided for the emergence of this fungus in different continents, ranging from global climate change to the vectoring of Bd via the international trade in amphibian species. In order to address these hypotheses, it is important to assess the current distribution of Bd in the context of introduced non-native amphibian species. We sampled several populations of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis across its distribution in Chile in order to detect the presence of B. dendrobatidis and evaluate the role of this frog as a potential vector. In three of ten sites sampled, individuals harbored B. dendrobatidis infection, with an overall prevalence of infection across the studied populations of 24% (14 positive out of 58 analyzed specimens). The rapid spread exhibited by this frog within Chile suggests that transpecific transmission of the pathogen is possible, perhaps jeopardizing native species. This finding indicates the urgent need to establish long-term monitoring population programs in order to allow early detection disease-driven changes in the sizes of native populations, allowing the prompt application of conservation practices.

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Acknowledgments

This research was conducted under permit of the Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG) and Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) from Chile and supported by the Fundación BBVA (PI: J.B.) and the Natural Environmental Research Council, NERC, UK (PI: M.F.). We thank to Maggie Connell and two anonymous referees who contributed helpful comments that strengthened considerably the final version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 2, Correo 15, La Granja, Santiago, Chile

    Rigoberto Solís & Gabriel Lobos

  2. Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, St Mary’s Campus, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK

    Susan F. Walker & Matthew Fisher

  3. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Jaime Bosch

Authors
  1. Rigoberto Solís
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  2. Gabriel Lobos
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  3. Susan F. Walker
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  4. Matthew Fisher
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  5. Jaime Bosch
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Correspondence to Rigoberto Solís.

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Solís, R., Lobos, G., Walker, S.F. et al. Presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in feral populations of Xenopus laevis in Chile. Biol Invasions 12, 1641–1646 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-009-9577-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-009-9577-2

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