The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis , which is often lethal to these animals, has reached Madagascar, a strategic enclave for the conservation of biodiversity. Until now, the presence of this pathogen has not been detected on the island, which has decimated the populations of salamanders, frogs and toads in Australia, Central America and the United States. Zoologists consider this fact very worrying, since Madagascar is home to some 290 species of amphibians that cannot be found anywhere else in the world . What’s more, the area is home to at least 200 other species of frogs that have not yet been classified by experts.
An international team of scientists, coordinated by biologists from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research and Brunswick Technical University in Germany, have devised an emergency plan to try to contain the spread of the fungus . According to the journal Scientific Reports , this includes monitoring the proliferation of this organism, the construction of shelters for the breeding of amphibians and the development of probiotic treatments.
Currently, amphibians are disappearing from the planet at an alarming rate . In part, this is due to the destruction of their habitat caused by human activities. However, various infectious diseases are killing them even in the most protected enclaves. Among them, the most devastating is the one caused by the aforementioned chytrid fungus , which attacks the skin of amphibians, especially important for these animals, since most of them breathe through it. So far, the presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been detected in more than 500 species, 200 of which have experienced a significant decline due to its cause.
