Cutaneous Chytridiomycosis in Poison Dart Frogs (<i>Dendrobates</i> spp.) and White's Tree Frogs (<i>Litoria Caerulea</i>)

Pessier, Allan P.; Nichols, Donald K.; Longcore, Joyce E.; Fuller, Melvin S.

doi:10.1177/104063879901100219

Cited by 255 publications

(231 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The experimentally-induced disease described in this paper was similar to that previously reported to be associated with fatalities in many different species of captive and wild anuran amphibians (Berger et al, 1998;Pessier et al, 1999). Cutaneous chytridiomycosis has apparently emerged recently to become a significant disease problem in amphibians over a wide geographical area, including Australia, Costa Rica, Panama, and the USA (Daszak et al, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Although some species of chytrids were known to parasitize fungi, plants, and invertebrate animals, none had been reported to be a pathogen of vertebrates until recently. Berger et al (1998) and Pessier et al (1999) described a novel skin disease in several species of anuran amphibians, associated with the presence of epidermal infection by chytrids. Deaths of captive frogs and the decline of many wild populations of frogs and toads in Australia and Panama (Berger et al, 1998) have been attributed to this disease.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental Transmission of Cutaneous Chytridiomycosis in Dendrobatid Frogs

Nichols

Lamirande

Pessier

et al. 2001

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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144

146

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In a series of three experiments during March-October, 1998, two species of captivebred poison dart frogs (Dendrobates tinctorius and D. auratus) were exposed to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a recently-described chytridiomycete fungus (chytrid) that was originally isolated from a blue poison dart frog (D. azureus). All frogs exposed to the chytrids developed a fatal skin disease, whereas none of the control frogs developed skin lesions. The most consistent clinical sign in chytrid-exposed frogs was excessive shedding of skin. Gross lesions were subtle, usually affected the legs and ventrum, and consisted of mild skin thickening and discoloration. Microscopic examination of shed skin pieces and/or skin imprints demonstrated the presence of chytrids and was used for ante mortem and post mortem confirmation of chytrid infection. Histologically, there was epidermal hyperkeratosis, hyperplasia, and hypertrophy associated with low to moderate numbers of chytrids in the keratinized layers. These experiments demonstrated that Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis can be a fatal pathogen in poison dart frogs. The experimentally-induced disease in these frogs resembled cases of cutaneous chytridiomycosis that have recently been described in several other species of captive and wild amphibians.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Transmission of Cutaneous Chytridiomycosis in Dendrobatid Frogs

Nichols

Lamirande

Pessier

et al. 2001

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

Self Cite

144

146

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“…Although there is an effort to predict the probability of population decline of species within the rainforest amphibian assemblage in Panama based on ecologic characteristics (Lips et al, 2003b), no studies have yet investigated the immune defenses of these species. Defense of the skin is critical for protection from many amphibian pathogens, including Aeromonas hydrophila, parasitic water molds (reviewed in Pessier, 2002;Rollins-Smith et al, 2002a), and Ribeiroia ondatrae (Johnson et al, 2001(Johnson et al, , 2002. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis colonizes keratinized epithelium (Berger et al, 1998;Longcore et al, 1999;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…That is, antigen detected by antigen-presenting cells in the skin can activate both cell-mediated (T cell) and humoral (B cell) defenses. Lack of lymphocytic infiltration in the chytrid-infected skin of frogs suggests that these animals have a poor cell-mediated immune response against B. dendrobatidis (Berger et al, 1998;Pessier et al, 1999), and there is currently no evidence for a humoral defense. Innate defenses such as epithelial barriers, phagocytic cells, and antimicrobial peptides may be vital.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicted Disease Susceptibility in a Panamanian Amphibian Assemblage Based on Skin Peptide Defenses

Woodhams

Voyles

Lips

et al. 2006

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

138

139

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ABSTRACT:Chytridiomycosis is an emerging infectious disease of amphibians caused by a chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. This panzootic does not equally affect all amphibian species within an assemblage; some populations decline, others persist. Little is known about the factors that affect disease resistance. Differences in behavior, life history, biogeography, or immune function may impact survival. We found that an innate immune defense, antimicrobial skin peptides, varied significantly among species within a rainforest stream amphibian assemblage that has not been exposed to B. dendrobatidis. If exposed, all amphibian species at this central Panamanian site are at risk of population declines. In vitro pathogen growth inhibition by peptides from Panamanian species compared with species with known resistance (Rana pipiens and Xenopus laevis) or susceptibility (Bufo boreas) suggests that of the nine species examined, two species (Centrolene prosoblepon and Phyllomedusa lemur) may demonstrate strong resistance, and the other species will have a higher risk of disease-associated population declines. We found little variation among geographically distinct B. dendrobatidis isolates in sensitivity to an amphibian skin peptide mixture. This supports the hypothesis that B. dendrobatidis is a generalist pathogen and that species possessing an innate immunologic defense at the time of disease emergence are more likely to survive.

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“…7 The diagnosis of chytridiomycosis in this case was based on the previously described salient, histomorphologic features of this fungus, including the shape, size, and location of thalli within the epidermis, 7 but fungal cultures would be needed for positive identification. The diagnosis of both viral and fungal infections in this peeper suggests that it may have been immunosuppressed at the time of death.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Inclusion Body Myositis in Spring Peepers (Pseudacris Crucifer)

Raymond

Reichard²,

Shellabarger³

et al. 2002

J VET Diagn Invest

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Abstract. In 2000, 2 adult captive spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) from the same zoological park were humanely euthanized. Histologically, both frogs had degeneration, atrophy, and necrosis of striated myofibers of the tongue admixed with chronic lymphohistiocytic inflammation. One frog had similar lesions in the skeletal muscles of the body wall. Several degenerate and necrotic myofibers contained single, eosinophilic, intranuclear inclusion bodies. Ultrastructural examination of the inclusions revealed nonenveloped, icosahedral, virus-like particles averaging 20-24 nm in diameter. This is the first reported case of inclusion body myositis in frogs and is believed to be due to parvoviral infection.In January 2000 an approximately 2-year-old, female, captive spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) (peeper A) was humanely euthanized. It was housed at a zoological park in the Midwestern United States. It had a clinical history of progressive, bilateral, lipid keratopathy. One week before death the peeper had stopped eating and had become lethargic. At necropsy the skin of the ventrum was red. The corneas of both eyes were completely opaque. The liver was black, and the gall bladder was distended. In October 2000 another female, approximately 3-year-old spring peeper (peeper B) from the same zoological park was also euthanized. Gross lesions were not evident at necropsy. Both peepers were originally wild caught in April 1998 in Ohio and were housed together in a 25.0-ϫ 50.0-cm glass aquarium with other wild caught spring peepers and Western Chorus frogs (P. triseriata).Both peepers were submitted whole and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin. Tissues were collected, embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 5.0 m, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE). Histologically, many striated myofibers of the tongues of both peepers were hypereosinophilic, markedly swollen, and fragmented-to-fibrillated and had loss of cross-striations. Multifocally, the remaining myofibers were atrophic and surrounded by fibrous connective tissue. There were low numbers of lymphocytes, plasma cells, and macrophages dissecting between degenerate and necrotic myofibers. Several degenerate and necrotic myofibers contained large, eosinophilic, intranuclear inclusion bodies (Fig. 1). Sections of panniculus muscles from peeper B had multifocal myodegeneration and myonecrosis admixed with lymphocytes, plasma cells, and macrophages. There were similar large, eosinophilic, intranuclear inclusion bodies within myofibers. Edema fluid and fibrous connective tissue separated the degenerate myofibers.In addition to the glossitis, peeper A also had bilateral thickening of the corneal stroma by cholesterol clefts, mineral deposits, macrophages, and foamy macrophages. Diffusely, hepatocytes were swollen and had many intracyto- plasmic, clear, smooth-marginated vacuoles. Multifocally, glomerular tufts contained few foamy macrophages and had clear vacuoles and clefts within glomerular mesangial cells. The skin of peeper A had moderate, multifocal, orthokera...

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Cutaneous Chytridiomycosis in Poison Dart Frogs (Dendrobates spp.) and White's Tree Frogs (Litoria Caerulea)

Cited by 255 publications

References 6 publications

Experimental Transmission of Cutaneous Chytridiomycosis in Dendrobatid Frogs

Experimental Transmission of Cutaneous Chytridiomycosis in Dendrobatid Frogs

Predicted Disease Susceptibility in a Panamanian Amphibian Assemblage Based on Skin Peptide Defenses

Inclusion Body Myositis in Spring Peepers (Pseudacris Crucifer)

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