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Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

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DAO 92:187-191 (2010)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02250

Contribution to the DAO Special 'Chytridiomycosis: An emerging disease'

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Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the live frog trade of Telmatobius (Anura: Ceratophryidae) in the tropical Andes

Alessandro Catenazzi1,*, Vance T. Vredenburg2, Edgar Lehr3

1Department of Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley, 3060 Valley Life Sciences, Berkeley, California 94707, USA
2Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132, USA
3Department of Biology, Illinois Wesleyan University, 303 East Emerson, Bloomington, Illinois 61701, USA

ABSTRACT: Species of frogs in the genus Telmatobius are traded and sold for human consumption in the Andes and in coastal cities of Peru and Bolivia. These frogs are harvested from wild populations. We report high prevalence of infection by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in live frogs purchased at the main market in Cusco, Peru, from January 2008 to January 2010. We suggest that the transport of native anurans through the live frog trade could facilitate the spread of this fungus among Andean frogs. The tropical Andes are the most important biodiversity hotspot for amphibians. Because many neotropical taxa are known to be susceptible to chytridiomycosis, the presence of a large reservoir of infection in the frog trade poses a significant threat to amphibian conservation.


KEY WORDS: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis · Amphibians · Trade · Andes · Peru · High elevation


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Cite this article as: Catenazzi A, Vredenburg VT, Lehr E (2010) Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the live frog trade of Telmatobius (Anura: Ceratophryidae) in the tropical Andes. Dis Aquat Org 92:187-191. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02250

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