Mitigating the human link in emerging reptile fungal pathogen transmission.

Abstract

Handling wild reptiles is common among amateur herpetology enthusiasts, professional researchers, social media influencers, and photographers. However, the potential for these interactions to spread diseases that threaten wild reptiles remains underappreciated. With the rise in such interactions due to today's socially connected landscape and the offering of an increased number of wildlife-focused ecotourism trips, the possibility of increased spread of human-vector-mediated reptile diseases is substantial. This spread is a concern, especially for novel and emerging potentially catastrophic fungal diseases such as ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease). We summarized the current knowledge on the main fungal taxa of concern and associated disease, highlighting the threat of spreading reptile fungal diseases to new geographic regions and species via current practices, including direct- and indirect-handling and describing current mitigation strategies; developed key guidelines for practitioners and enthusiasts to reduce the risk of spread of disease; and identified areas of future research. This information will raise awareness and improve hygiene practices across the herpetology community to reduce the spread of disease and improve conservation.