# Chytrid fungus in U.S. Captive Collections?



## Conrauaboy (Apr 7, 2014)

Hi All,

New guy here. Everyone but me probably knows this, but what is the extent of chytrid fungus in captive US collections?


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Conrauaboy said:


> Hi All,
> 
> New guy here. Everyone but me probably knows this, but what is the extent of chytrid fungus in captive US collections?


Welcome!  ...Honestly I feel like I should know this, but I only have the vaguest idea in truth. One thing nice though is that it is manageable/curable in our captive darts.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Until more individuals begin testing, there will be no real way to know just how prevalent it is. There have been a few members (that have been public about it) here that have discovered it in their frogs. Some came from supposedly very reputable sources, some not.

Didn't TWI do a large-scale sample collection a few years ago? Were the results ever shared?


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

◾Total number of samples (i.e. individual swabs/frogs): 273 
◾Number of samples that tested positive for Bd: 2
◾Number of samples that tested negative for Bd: 271
◾Percentage of Dendrobatids from sample size that tested positive for Bd: 0.7%

These were the results, I think they were published in 2010. So now, with all these mega breeders.. who knows!


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

srrrio said:


> ◾Total number of samples (i.e. individual swabs/frogs): 273
> ◾Number of samples that tested positive for Bd: 2
> ◾Number of samples that tested negative for Bd: 271
> ◾Percentage of Dendrobatids from sample size that tested positive for Bd: 0.7%
> ...


That's actually a much lower instance of positive samples than I had expected, but it was several years ago, and lots of imports have come through since. Everyone definitely still needs to stay dilligent.


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## Pubfiction (Feb 3, 2013)

I personally do not find this statistic to be surprising. If someone's collection or frogs were infected they would most likely die as soon as conditions became right, or would be cured by treatment. The only way that large amounts of frogs would have the disease is if it turned out that they are resistant in the most common conditions frogs are kept. 

In nature you have some reservoir and huge complexity to keep hitting frogs over and over with the disease. But with pets people mostly buy and stock their vivariums with items that are unlikely to have chytrid and if they have deaths they are likely to scrap everything and start over or give up. Small collections now if you asked everyone who had a frog die to submit the carcass for testing you might see a different story.


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## Fantastica (May 5, 2013)

Well, there was also a study that came out in late 2013 that talked about the different primers and DNA extractors actually providing a lot of false negatives: Techniques for minimizing the effects of PCR inhibitors
in the chytridiomycosis assay (Kosch & Summers) Someone on the board had a positive test with her tinc's not too long ago (can't remember the thread name, if anyone wants to chime in on that one).

I was going to (and still hope to) do a study on this at my university, but my professors lab construction has been delayed. I think if anything, everyone should at least be testing their frogs before selling any offspring, but preferably before they go into their permanent tanks. Brad and Marta from Dendrobati sell foam-tipped swabs that are supposedly the easiest to get DNA from.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Pubfiction said:


> I personally do not find this statistic to be surprising. If someone's collection or frogs were infected they would most likely die as soon as conditions became right, or would be cured by treatment.


Exactly, lots of froggers keep their stuff warmer, with limited temperature fluctuations, which means frogs are more likely to be asymptomatic until they are sold/stressed.


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## Conrauaboy (Apr 7, 2014)

Thanks all for the replies. 

I was curious because a friend of mine who recently visited the Atlanta Botanical Garden told me he overheard two of their employees chatting about the terrible chytrid fungus problem that had killed all of their coqui frogs. And that made me wonder about carriers and infected frogs that get shipped around among collections, and just how widespread the problem might be.


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## Bcs TX (Sep 13, 2008)

From what I remember about the TWI study it was not "real time PCR" , there is a difference. Plus it is unknown on the pos results from one keeper' s collection or one frog from an individuals collections. I participated in this test along with another Tx breeder we did not get notified of positive. Still I QT and test, like Dane said most of the frog's are kept at temps that do not cause an outbreak. Amphibian Ark has some great info and also videos on how to swab etc.
Chytrid Fungus-Plague casuing global amphibian mass extinction
It can be treated but you need to test.


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## JJuchems (Feb 16, 2004)

I have added a new page on my website that has links and PDF downloads on Chytrid, Rana virus, Emergency Supplies, Ect. Poisonfrogs.net: The Learning Center I am up dating it about every other week but there is some good info you may want to checkout.


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