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La Hipótesis del Patógeno Incipiente y Endémico: Explicaciones Opuestas del Origen de Enfermedades Infecciosas Emergentes en la Vida Silvestre
Author(s) -
RACHOWICZ LARA J.,
HERO JEANMARC,
ALFORD ROSS A.,
TAYLOR JOHN W.,
MORGAN JESS A.T.,
VREDENBURG VANCE T.,
COLLINS JAMES P.,
BRIGGS CHERYL J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00255.x
Subject(s) - chytridiomycosis , biology , emerging infectious disease , outbreak , pathogen , wildlife disease , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , wildlife , host (biology) , population , ecology , zoology , immunology , virology , medicine , environmental health , pathology
Chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis , is an emerging infectious disease implicated in declines of amphibian populations around the globe. An emerging infectious disease is one that has recently been discovered; has recently increased in incidence, geography, or host range; or is newly evolved. For any given outbreak of an emerging disease, it is therefore possible to state two hypotheses regarding its origin. The novel pathogen hypothesis states that the disease has recently spread into new geographic areas, whereas the endemic pathogen hypothesis suggests that it has been present in the environment but recently has increased in host range or pathogenicity. Distinguishing between these hypotheses is important, because the conservation measures needed to slow or stop the spread of a novel pathogen are likely to differ from those needed to prevent outbreaks of an endemic pathogen. Population genetics may help discriminate among the possible origins of an emerging disease. Current evidence suggests chytridiomycosis may be a novel pathogen being spread worldwide by carriers; until we know how much genetic variation to expect in an endemic strain, however, we cannot yet conclude that B. dendrobatidis is a novel pathogen.