All by Leah Melman

Spore Our Shores: Amphibian Fungal Infection- Are We Next?

For the past decade, there have been growing concerns over a novel and deadly chytrid fungal infection that targets amphibians- Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). The fungus is already well-established in Europe, where it has resulted in the catastrophic decline of numerous salamander species. A cousin of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been a pathogen of grave concern here in the United States. It has decimated over 200 species of frog, even resulting in the extinction of several affected species (Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, 2018). Having witnessed the destruction Bd has caused in North America, researchers and wildlife officials are wary of the further devastation that could take place if Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans were to arrive here from Europe.