Xenopus laevis and Emerging Amphibian Pathogens in Chile

Soto‐Azat, Claudio; Peñafiel‐Ricaurte, Alexandra; Price, Stephen J.; Sallaberry‐Pincheira, Nicole; García, María Pía; Alvarado‐Rybak, Mario; Cunningham, Andrew A.

doi:10.1007/s10393-016-1186-9

Cited by 31 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 59 publications

(73 reference statements)

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“…Xenopus laevis is considered as an effective vector capable of disseminating Bd into new regions (Soto‐Azat et al., ) and thus represents a possible route of introduction of Bd GPL into Chile. The earliest evidence of Bd in Chile is from a four‐eyed frog ( Pleurodema thaul ) individual collected from Concepción in 1970 (Soto‐Azat et al., ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite this, there is a knowledge gap on the molecular diversity of Bd genotypes occurring in most areas within this region. For instance in Chile, Bd is widespread, infecting native and invasive anurans, but no attempt has been conducted so far to isolate the fungus or to conduct comparative molecular analyses (Soto‐Azat et al., , ; Valenzuela‐Sánchez et al, ). This limits our capacity to adequately understand the emergence and epidemiology of chytridiomycosis in the region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genomic epidemiology of the emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from native and invasive amphibian species in Chile

Valenzuela‐Sánchez

O’Hanlon

Alvarado‐Rybak

et al. 2017

Transbound Emerg Dis

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Emerging fungal diseases represent a threat to food security, animal and human health worldwide. Amphibian chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been associated with catastrophic and well-documented amphibian population declines and extinctions. For the first time, Bd was cultured from native and non-native wild amphibians in Chile. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that Chilean isolates AVS2, AVS4 and AVS7 group within the global panzootic lineage of Bd (BdGPL) in a single highly supported clade that includes a genotype previously isolated from the United Kingdom. Our results extend the known distribution of BdGPL in South America and suggest a single and relatively recent introduction of BdGPL into the country, providing additional support to the role of anthropogenic activity in the global spread of this panzootic lineage.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genomic epidemiology of the emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from native and invasive amphibian species in Chile

Valenzuela‐Sánchez

O’Hanlon

Alvarado‐Rybak

et al. 2017

Transbound Emerg Dis

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“…First, it might be indicative of human‐mediated transmission of the fungus (e.g., intentional or accidental introduction of Bd with infected animals or via the transportation of contaminated water or damp substrates; e.g., Fisher and Garner , Soto‐Azat et al. ). This is consistent with other studies that have also found a positive relationship between Bd occurrence and human influence at both local (Adams et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The amphibian‐killing fungus in a biodiversity hotspot: identifying and validating high‐risk areas and refugia

et al. 2019

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Amphibian chytridiomycosis, due to infection with the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been associated with the alarming decline and extinction crisis of amphibians worldwide. It is essential for conservation management to identify regions with high or low suitability for Bd. We use a species distribution model to estimate the environmental suitability of Bd in the Chilean Winter Rainfall–Valdivian Forest biodiversity hotspot. Fourteen environmental variables were used as predictors in the statistical modeling (Maxent, generalized linear models, random forest) which also included 56 independent Bd+ localities. High‐risk areas (i.e., suitability above a defined threshold) were validated through prospective field surveys conducted in 2017. As results from Maxent, which only uses presence data, were the only results retained, refugia (i.e., suitability below a defined threshold) were validated with the Bd absences (N = 12) used in the GLM and RF modeling. Our results showed that (1) suitability for Bd increased with human footprint and with shorter distances to urban centers and water bodies and decreased with elevation; (2) climate was not a major factor shaping the current distribution of Bd; and (3) the model predicted high‐risk and refugia areas fairly well. Surveys of 24 new localities in high‐risk areas confirmed that 23 were Bd+; hence, these areas warrant consideration for long‐term Bd surveillance, population monitoring, and disease mitigation. In addition, five localities with apparent Bd absence were found in the predicted high‐risk areas. Our models showed that refugia can exist near high‐risk areas and Bd+ sites. Four localities with apparent Bd absence were located within the refugia predicted by the model. Preventing Bd transmission to such refugia is of paramount importance for persistence of Bd‐susceptible amphibian populations. The identification and validation through prospective field surveys of high‐risk areas and refugia are imperative to develop strategies to prevent further arrival and establishment of Bd and also, by identifying amphibian species or populations of conservation concern in such areas, will help to guide specific actions to reduce the biodiversity loss caused by chytridiomycosis.

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“…Berger et al, 1998;Bosch, Martinez-Solano and Garcia-Paris, 2001;Olson et al, 2013). Xenopus laevis is also known as an asymptomatic carrier of ranaviruses (Robert et al, 2014) and a high prevalence of these viruses has been detected in at least one location where it is invasive (Soto-Azat et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the impacts of the invasive frog, Xenopus laevis, on amphibians in western France

Courant¹,

Secondi

Vollette³

et al. 2018

Amphib.-Reptilia

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As invasive species are one of the principal threats on global biodiversity, assessing their impact is a crucial element of conservation biology. Quantifying the possible impacts of an invasive population represents the first step in the establishment of efficient management plans. In this study, we applied a method of site-occupancy modeling to estimate the influence of an invasive frog, Xenopus laevis, on the amphibian species richness in western France. In our analyses we took into account habitat characteristics (i.e. the size and general shape of the ponds), the structure of the aquatic vegetation, the presence of other vertebrates, and the physicochemical parameters of the pond. Richness was negatively related to the abundance of X. laevis and to the time since colonization as estimated by the distance of the pond to the site of introduction. Habitat niche breadth of native amphibians did not differ between invaded and non-invaded areas. This might be a consequence of the homogeneity of the habitats selected for our study. The lack of heterogeneity in the abiotic factors, the absence of a correlation between species richness and these abiotic factors, and the correlation of the abundance and time since colonization by X. laevis with species richness suggest a negative effect of this species on local amphibians. This result highlights the importance of conservation and management plans aiming to limit the expansion of this invasive species.

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Xenopus laevis and Emerging Amphibian Pathogens in Chile

Cited by 31 publications

References 59 publications

Genomic epidemiology of the emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from native and invasive amphibian species in Chile

Genomic epidemiology of the emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from native and invasive amphibian species in Chile

The amphibian‐killing fungus in a biodiversity hotspot: identifying and validating high‐risk areas and refugia

Assessing the impacts of the invasive frog, Xenopus laevis, on amphibians in western France

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