Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, UK.
Ecohealth. 2009 Mar;6(1):27-32. doi: 10.1007/s10393-009-0232-2. Epub 2009 May 6.
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the causative agent of the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, is an important factor in the global decline of amphibians. Within Europe, animals that exhibit clinical signs of the disease have only been reported in Spain despite the pathogen's wide, but patchy, distribution on the continent. Recently, another occurrence of chytridiomycosis was reported in Euproctus platycephalus, the Sardinian brook newt, on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, but without any evidence of fatal disease. We report further evidence of the emergence of Bd on Sardinia and the first evidence of lethal chytridiomycosis outside of Spain. Unusual mortalities of the Tyrrhenian painted frog (Discoglossus sardus) were found at three sites in the Limbara mountains of northern Sardinia. Molecular and histological screens of corpses, frogs, and tadpoles from these sites revealed infection with Bd. Infection and mortality occurred at locations that are unusual in terms of the published habitat requirements of the pathogen. Given the endemicity, the IUCN Red List status of the amphibian species on Sardinia, and the occurrence of infection and mortality caused by chytridiomycosis, there is serious reason for concern for the impact that disease emergence may have on the conservation of the amphibians of the island.
蛙壶菌（Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis，Bd）是蛙类疾病壶菌病的病原体，是全球两栖动物数量减少的重要因素。在欧洲，尽管该病原体在欧洲大陆广泛分布，但只在西班牙报告了出现疾病临床症状的动物。最近，在撒丁岛的地中海岛屿上，撒丁岛溪螈（Euproctus platycephalus）身上又报告了另一起壶菌病的发生，但没有任何致命疾病的证据。我们报告了 Bd 在撒丁岛出现的进一步证据，以及西班牙以外首例致命壶菌病的证据。在撒丁岛的利姆巴拉山脉的三个地点发现了 Tyrrhenian painted frog（Discoglossus sardus）的异常死亡。对这些地点的尸体、青蛙和蝌蚪进行的分子和组织学筛查显示感染了 Bd。感染和死亡发生在与病原体公布的栖息地要求不同的地方。鉴于该病的地方性、撒丁岛两栖动物物种的 IUCN 红色名录地位，以及壶菌病感染和死亡的发生，有充分的理由担心疾病的出现可能对该岛的两栖动物保护产生影响。
