Fatal chytridiomycosis in the Moroccan midwife toad Alytes maurus and potential distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis across Morocco

IF 0.8 4区生物学 Q3 ZOOLOGY

African Journal of Herpetology Pub Date : 2022-01-02 DOI:10.1080/21564574.2021.1998235

Barbora Thumsová, D. Donaire-Barroso, E. E. El Mouden, J. Bosch

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引用次数: 5

Abstract

ABSTRACT Multiple threats, including emerging infectious diseases, are contributing to the extinction of amphibians worldwide. One of the most devastating diseases is the fatal amphibian skin disease chytridiomycosis caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). The presence of Bd in North Africa was described in 2011 and this included the distribution range of the endemic Moroccan midwife toad (Alytes maurus). Here we report new Bd positive occurrences across several distant regions of Morocco, augment the known number of infected species, and describe the first evidence of lethal chytridiomycosis in A. maurus. Although population declines in this species were not recorded, the family Alytidae has been identified as the most susceptible taxonomic group to chytridiomycosis of the Palearctic. An environmental niche model, taking into account new records of Bd in the country, confirms the Mediterranean coast and the Rif and Middle Atlas Mountains as very favourable areas for Bd. Our results suggest that the real impact of chytridiomycosis in North Africa is poorly understood, and that this continent cannot be identified as a region less impacted by chytridiomycosis, as was previously proposed.

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摩洛哥助产士蟾蜍Alytes maurus的致命壶菌病和在摩洛哥分布的潜在壶菌

摘要包括新出现的传染病在内的多种威胁正在导致全球两栖动物的灭绝。最具破坏性的疾病之一是由真菌Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis（Bd）引起的致命两栖动物皮肤病壶菌病。2011年描述了Bd在北非的存在，其中包括当地的摩洛哥助产士蟾蜍（Alytes maurus）的分布范围。在这里，我们报告了摩洛哥几个遥远地区出现的新的Bd阳性病例，增加了已知的感染物种数量，并描述了毛滴虫致命壶菌病的第一个证据。尽管没有记录到该物种的种群减少，但Alytidae科已被确定为极北极地区最易感染壶菌病的分类群。一个环境生态位模型，考虑到该国的新记录，证实地中海沿岸、里夫山脉和中阿特拉斯山脉是非常有利的Bd地区。我们的研究结果表明，人们对壶菌病在北非的真正影响知之甚少，该大陆不能被确定为受壶菌病影响较小的地区，正如先前提出的那样。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

African Journal of Herpetology ZOOLOGY-

CiteScore

3.00

自引率

6.70%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： African Journal of Herpetology (AJH) serves as an outlet for original research on the biology of African amphibians and reptiles. AJH is an interdisciplinary journal that publishes original articles and reviews from diverse fields and disciplines, such as conservation, phylogenetics, evolution, systematics, performance, physiology, ecology, behavioural ecology, ethology, and morphology. The Journal publishes two issues a year. There are no page charges .