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Confronting inconsistencies in the amphibian‐chytridiomycosis system: implications for disease management
Author(s) -
Venesky Matthew D.,
Raffel Thomas R.,
McMahon Taegan A.,
Rohr Jason R.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
biological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.993
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1469-185X
pISSN - 1464-7931
DOI - 10.1111/brv.12064
Subject(s) - chytridiomycosis , amphibian , biology , abiotic component , ecology , resistance (ecology) , chytridiomycota , emerging infectious disease , wildlife , fungal disease , wildlife management , wildlife conservation , wildlife disease , outbreak , microbiology and biotechnology , ascomycota , biochemistry , virology , gene
Chytridiomycosis, caused by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ), is one of the largest threats to wildlife and is putatively linked to the extirpation of numerous amphibians. Despite over a decade of research on Bd , conflicting results from a number of studies make it difficult to forecast where future epizootics will occur and how to manage this pathogen effectively. Here, we emphasize how resolving these conflicts will advance Bd management and amphibian conservation efforts. We synthesize current knowledge on whether Bd is novel or endemic, whether amphibians exhibit acquired resistance to Bd , the importance of host resistance versus tolerance to Bd , and how biotic (e.g. species richness) and abiotic factors (e.g. climate change) affect Bd abundance. Advances in our knowledge of amphibian–chytrid interactions might inform the management of fungal pathogens in general, which are becoming more common and problematic globally.