In case you haven't heard, a new species of chytrid fungus (which has its optimum at lower temperatures than the related well-known species) has caused a 96% reduction (from 2010 to 2013!) in Dutch fire salamanders (or at least, the only population in The Netherlands that was still large enough to investigate) =>
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/ ... 0.abstract
A lot of questions exist, but this is obviously a serious threat. Last month, a (very) sick salamander was found in Belgium. This clearly indicates that the fungus has the potential to spread and is no longer an isolated, local phenomenon.
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Deadly skin-eating fungus threatens Belgian Fire Salamander populations
Amphibians are globally threatened by dramatic population declines, which are in part driven by infectious diseases. Despite the well-known occurrence of several infectious amphibian diseases in Belgium, hitherto, they appear not to have significantly affected our native amphibian assemblages.
A novel deadly fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, was discovered in 2012 and almost wiped out the fire salamander in the Netherlands. This fungus now has been found in a dying fire salamander in Eupen by researchers of Ghent University.
The finding of the deadly fungus is highly worrisome, since it may be deleterious to the survival of native salamander populations, thus warranting close monitoring of the situation in Eupen and surrounding salamander populations.
Contact:
Prof. An Martel
Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases
Division for Poultry, Exotic Companion, Wildlife and Laboratory Animals
0496/831161
An.Martel@ugent.be
Prof. Dr. Frank Pasmans
Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases
Laboratory of Veterinary Bacteriology and Mycology
09/2647436
Frank.Pasmans@ugent.be
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The city of Eupen lies in a very large axis of woodland stretching from France to Germany across the south of Belgium. We don't know how and how fast the fungus can or will spread, but this should raise major concern in at least the mentioned countries.