# Help compiling list of most common/prevalent pathogens in wild/captive dendrobatids?



## creaturing (Sep 5, 2014)

Adding on to _Bd_, I'm trying to compile a comprehensive list of pathogens that affect *tropical* *poison* frogs (dendrobatids in particular). This means I'm less interested in non-tropical/dendrobatid frog pathogens unless they are also known to occur in dendrobatids or other tropical frogs.

I'm aware of red-leg (_Aeromonas_, etc.), _Saprolegnia_/_Leptolegnia_, and ranavirus infections in North American frogs, for example, but am not finding much literature describing pathogens (aside from _Bd_ and some commensal protozoa) in tropical poison frogs...

Excluding _Bd_, does anyone have leads on literature/sources describing a) common or pathogenic organisms affecting wild (or captive!) tropical poison frogs, and/or b) accounts of red-leg, protist/_Saprolegnia_-like infections, ranavirus, or absolutely any other pathogenic microbe in tropical poison frogs?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Any reason your not doing your research in the relevant literature as opposed to asking for comments here? I think reports published in things like the JAVMA or Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine would be of more use...... 

Some comments 

Ed


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## creaturing (Sep 5, 2014)

I appreciate the journal suggestions Ed, I'll take a deeper look there.

And I figured that sort of question might arise. Don't worry, I'm not asking db to do my homework; I've spent several hrs/day the last week perusing the literature, and though I've come up with some rather tenuous sources and ideas of which microbes _could_ be common and/or pathogenic, I've found minimal primary literature pertaining specifically to pathogenic microbes in neotropical and/or dendrobatid frogs.

I decided to make an account and post simply because I've seen some great threads while lurking here, and there seem to be some really knowledgeable folks.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

The problem is that very rarely are you going to get a specific parasite identification in hobbyist owned animals, the best you can hope for is a generic identification such as Rhabditiform nematode as opposed to say Rhabdias ranae or R. bufonis. That is why I suggested more specific literature as that has a greater chance of having an actual identification made as to the species. 
In general, most of the hobbyist animals are only going to be diagnosed sufficiently to ensure that the proper worming agent would be chosen. 

Have you checked out the chapters in Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry or the amphibian chapter in Mader's latest book? 

Some comments 

Ed


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