Chytridiomycosis is an infectious disease found in amphibians, mainly frogs. The cause of Chytridiomycosis is the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), in the Chytrid family. These fungi are found underwater growing on decaying matter. Bd is one of two Chytrid species that infect living organisms. The other is Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), which is the cause of an infectious disease targeting salamanders and newts and has luckily not been found in North America at this point, but is currently impacting newt and salamander species in Europe.

Bd is found all over the world and, since its discovery, it has decimated global amphibian populations. The fungus will travel through water until it comes into contact with a host. Chytridomycosis affects the skin of the amphibian which has multiple implications:

• Amphibians breathe through their skin. The fungus limits their ability to breathe.

• They will not be able to effectively thermoregulate, or maintain internal temperature

• An amphibian keeps its skin moist to help facilitate absorbing oxygen. The fungus can impact their ability to hydrate

All of these effects can cause mortality in amphibians. Although there are major die offs caused by chytridiomycosis, some amphibians can be carriers of the disease without showing symptoms. Common symptoms include:

• Lethargy

• Strange behaviors such as jumping or swimming in circles

• Inability to right themselves if turned over

• Weight loss

• Exessive shedding of skin or redness in skin

• Sitting in the sun instead of seeking shade

Currently, there are many ongoing studies to try develop resistance to chytrid fungi. The American Bullfrog and African Clawed Frog seem to be resistant to the disease. In captivity, anti-fungal medicine has been successful in expelling the disease from infected frogs, but most cases are impractical for use on a large scale in the wild.

Chytrid fungi can spread to different areas on clothing, footwear, and equiptment. It is recommended to thoroughly clean and let dry all footwear and equiptment worn in water before bringing it to a new site. Additionally, amphibians should never be taken from the wild and returned somewhere else. This can introduce the disease to an area that hasn’t been affected yet.