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Assessing the threat of Chytrid Fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on Amphibians in the Albertine Rift,
East Africa
Dazley, J
...
Seimon, Samuel Ayebare, Robert Sekisambu, Emmanuel Muhindo, Guillain Mitamba, Eli Greenbaum, Michele Menegon, Fabio
Pupin, Denise McAloose, Alyssa Ammazzalorso, Danny Meirte, Wilbur Lukwago, Mathias Behangana, Anton Seimon, Andrew J
...
The area is vulnerable to
habitat loss, making the Albertine Rift a high priority region for
conservation
...

- Other than natural and anthropogenic spread of Bd,
environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation
may influence the presence of Bd in the environment
...


Purpose
-Main purpose to document the distribution and prevalence of
amphibian Bd in the Albertine rift, in both current and
proposed protected areas, and determine whether the
presence of Bd correlates with Chytridiomycosis
-Predict the effect of climate change on the distribution and
prevalence of Bd, using distribution models to predict future
habitat suitability in the Albertine Rift
...
No research on the distribution of Bd in
the area had been carried out previously
...

- Sampled across 39 sites within the Albertine Rift
...
Samples were used for
histological examination and tested using the
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for Bd
...
5%) samples collected
altogether within the Albertine Rift tested positive
for Bd using the PCR method
...

-Amphibians of the genus Afrixalus and Leptopelis
had the highest prevalence of Bd
...

-Significant increase in Bd occurrence in the study
area increases with an increase in mean annual
precipitation when all other environmental
parameters are unchanged
-Probability of Bd presence decreases rapidly when
annual rainfall reaches 1500mm

Conclusions
-Large reduction in Bd prevalence
between historic samples since 1925 and
samples collected in the Albertine Rift
region
-Histopathological examination has found
that Bd infection does not result in
morbidity in all cases
-Some amphibian species sampled such
as the American Bullfrog and the African
Clawed Frog are less susceptible to Bd
infection and therefore these species
likely act as carriers of the disease
-With the exception of two specimens
(Ptychadena and Hyperolius), the majority
of Bd positive specimens did not develop
Chytridiomycosis despite infection with
Bd

Future Research
-Tadpoles have been shown to act as a
host for Bd in the environment, and
tadpoles could be tested for the presence
of Bd in mouthparts
- Aquatic parameters such as proximity

to drainage and vegetation parameters
during the wet and dry seasons could
be tested to enhance the climatic
models

References
Seimon, A
...
, Sekisambu, R
...
al
...
Assessing the Threat of Amphibian Chytrid Fungus in the Albertine Rift: Past, Present and Future, PLoS ONE, 10 (12)



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