First Detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Wild Frogs from Bangladesh

AbstractGlobal amphibian populations are facing a novel threat, chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungusBatrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which is responsible for the severe decline of a number of species across several continents. Chytridiomycosis in Asia is a relatively recent discovery yet there have been no reports onBd-presence in Bangladeshi amphibians. We conducted a preliminary study on 133 wild frogs from seven sites in Bangladesh between April and July 2018. Nested PCR analysis showed 20 samples (15.04%) and 50% of the tested taxa (9 species from 6 genera and 4 families) asBd-positive. Eight of the nine species are discovered as newly infected hosts. Analysis ofBd-positive samples shows prevalence does not significantly vary among different land cover categories, although the occurrence is higher in forested areas. The prevalence rate is similar in high and low disturbed areas, but the range of occurrence is statistically higher in low disturbance areas. Maximum entropy distribution modeling indicates high probabilities ofBd occurrence in hilly and forested areas in southeast and central-north Bangladesh. TheBd-specific ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal gene sequence from theBd-positive samples tested is completely identical. A neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree reveals that the identified strain shares a common ancestry with strains previously discovered in different Asian regions. Our results provide the first evidence ofBd-presence in Bangladeshi amphibians, inferring th...
Source: EcoHealth - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research