FUNGI Discovered in Australia in the 1990s, this emerging infectious disease of amphibians is considered to be a major threat to frog populations.Taking residence in the frog's skin, the fungus is thought to cause death by either toxic secretions or inhibition of normal osmotic balance (Daszak et al., 1999). Wanna see the histo?
This disease is caused by Basidiobolus ranarum. Normal inhabitant of frog guts, Basidiobolus is a saprophytic fungus that causes zygomycosis in horses and humans. This disease is characterized by granulomas and vegetative growth in the skin and subcutaneous tissues. It's also considered a potential pathogen of the frogs themselves, recently found to be capable of producing skin lesions in dwarf African clawed frogs (Groff et al., 1991).
The fungus Mucor amphiborum is responsible for causing either skin lesions or systemic disease in captive and wild-caught Australian frogs (Creeper et al. 1998, Berger et al., 1997). Click here for a look at mucormycosis in humans...
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Mucormycosis in an Australian tree frog. Photograph courtesy of Lee Berger.
Speaking of fun fungi, do remember Pilolobus in horses? What is unique about its transmission in horses?
Caused by brown pigmented fungi and found worldwide, this disease occurs as the presence of a white cotton-like mat covering a skin ulcer in the amphibian skin. Cooler temperatures support the disease condition, which can be verified by viewing fungal hyphae under the microscope.
Chromomycosis
Pigmented fungi from the family Dematiaceae cause this worldwide disease of amphibians, characterized by dark ulcerative lesions or white granulomatous nodules which can be on the skin or internal organs.
Beware! We can get this disease too--from where the frog got it or from the frog itself if its lesions contain infective spores.
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