Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
Ecohealth. 2012 Sep;9(3):298-302. doi: 10.1007/s10393-012-0771-9. Epub 2012 Jun 6.
The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bd, has been implicated in the decimation and extinction of many amphibian populations worldwide, especially at mid and high elevations. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of the pathogen in the lowlands from Australia and Central America. We extend here its elevational range by demonstrating its presence at the sea level, in the lowland forests of Gorgona Island, off the Pacific coast of Colombia. We conducted two field surveys, separated by four years, and diagnosed Bd by performing polymerase chain reactions on swab samples from the skin of five amphibian species. All species, including the Critically Endangered Atelopus elegans, tested positive for the pathogen, with prevalences between 3.9 % in A. elegans (in 2010) and 52 % in Pristimantis achatinus. Clinical signs of chytridiomycosis were not detected in any species. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. dendrobatidis in tropical lowlands at sea level, where temperatures may exceed optimal growth temperatures of this pathogen. This finding highlights the need to understand the mechanisms allowing the interaction between frogs and pathogen in lowland ecosystems.
两栖动物壶菌，Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis，Bd，被认为与全球许多两栖动物种群的减少和灭绝有关，特别是在中高海拔地区。最近的研究表明，这种病原体存在于澳大利亚和中美洲的低地。我们通过在哥伦比亚太平洋海岸的戈罗诺岛的低地森林中在海平面上发现了该病原体，从而扩展了其海拔范围。我们进行了两次相隔四年的实地调查，并通过对来自五种两栖动物物种皮肤拭子样本进行聚合酶链反应来诊断 Bd。所有物种，包括极度濒危的 Atelopus elegans，均对病原体呈阳性，在 2010 年的 Atelopus elegans 中，患病率为 3.9%，在 Pristimantis achatinus 中为 52%。在任何物种中都没有检测到壶菌病的临床症状。据我们所知，这是首次在热带低地海平面上报告有 Bd，那里的温度可能超过了这种病原体的最佳生长温度。这一发现强调了需要了解允许青蛙与病原体在低地生态系统中相互作用的机制。
