WTFs Used to Identify Pathology of Chytrid

[Endosymbiote]

A paper published in Science this week established exactly how Chytrid fungus is killing frogs. The study was performed using L. caerulea.

It seems the fungus doesn't actually eat the frog or poison it... it just causes an electrolyte imbalance that kills it by causing its heart to stop.

Anyways, just another way in which Dumpys are helping scientist understand frog decline.

[John]

Thanks for pointing this out - I'm reading it now. Anyone can read the abstract here: Pathogenesis of Chytridiomycosis, a Cause of Catastrophic Amphibian Declines -- Voyles et al. 326 (5952): 582 -- Science

[Tom Highum]

So to treat it could you just treat it with electrolytes?

[tylototriton]

Hypothetically, you could treat it with electrolytes, at least with this case. They found that frogs recovered temporarily when treated with electrolytes, but soon after died. The caveat is that treating would be useless unless the damage in the ventral epidermis could be corrected. I suspect as well that although the electrolytes held off the heart failure the frog would eventually succumb to something else because of the damage to other areas. Regardless, this paper gives fantastic insight into this disease and brings us one step closer to controlling this disease.

Alex

[Nora]

To see the actual scientific paper itself you have to hold a subscription, but a few news articles have already trickled out with a review, they have decent explanations for lay people and some photos as well. here are 2.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/20...ibian-disease/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8319467.stm