Keynote Adress from Dr. Peter Daszak
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It is my great pleasure to
welcome you to the third International Virtual Conference on Veterinary Medicine: Diseases
of Amphibians and Reptiles. This virtual conference, part of a series hosted by the
Veterinary College of the University of Georgia, offers a unique opportunity to highlight
the growing field of amphibian and reptile pathology. This field has its origins in zoo
herpetological collections and lab animal medicine. Interest grew slowly throughout the
20th Century, however, the study of amphibian and reptile veterinary medicine remained a
poor cousin to that of mammals and birds. This partly reflects the lack of economic
interest in these animals, but maybe also their poor public image. This situation has now
changed radically. Over the last few decades an expansion of captive breeding programs for
the conservation of endangered herpetofauna has led to significant advances in our
understanding of captive reptile medicine. New approaches to nutrition and husbandry (e.g.
UV light and vitamin D metabolism) and the discovery of high impact infectious diseases
(e.g. tortoise mycoplasmosis, inclusion body disease of boids, ophidian paramyxovirus,
reptile microsporidiosis, green turtle fibropapillomatosis, cryptosporidiosis) have helped
to put reptile and amphibian medicine into the mainstream. There has also been an
exponential growth in the herp pet trade, both in the USA and in Europe. The expansion of
captive reptiles into the mainstream pet trade has undoubtedly led to increased pressures
on wild populations, but has also led to the increased sophistication of the specialist
herpetology vet, with many spinoffs for captive breeding and conservation.
New challenges have emerged, such as the growth in crocodile
farming, an international trade in farmed bullfrogs for the international restaurant
market and the public health importance of some reptile diseases. The realization that
salmonellosis of reptile origin is capable of causing death in infant and elderly humans
has led to a great deal of interest in captive reptiles from the medical community. This,
and the recent controversy over the banning of importation of African tortoises (with
their Amblyomma tick hitchhikers and potential Cowdria baggage) into the USA
reminds us that threats to public health and welfare may come from diverse sources.
Amphibian diseases have also hit the headlines recently with the discovery of a globally
emergent fungal disease (chytridiomycosis) causing loss of amphibian biodiversity in
remote "pristine" areas of Central America and Australia. Chytridiomycosis
highlights the role of captive wildlife in understanding diseases in wild populations.
This disease is a significant cause of mortality in zoo animal and pet trade amphibians,
indeed the first isolate in culture came from a South American frog at the National Zoo,
Washington.
As you visit this site and read the diverse papers on
herpetological medicine, I urge you to consider the gaps that remain in our knowledge.
First, our understanding of morbidity and mortality in wild amphibians and reptiles
seriously lags knowledge of their diseases in captivity. The discovery that emerging
diseases caused by ranaviruses and a chytrid fungus may be involved in the global loss of
amphibians suggests we need to increase surveillance and research on wild populations.
Wild reptile populations are also crashing globally and it remains unknown whether disease
plays a significant role here. Second, as the reptile and amphibian pet trade expands
further, we need to find ways of further reducing the mortality due to infectious disease.
The role of captive environment (stress, diet, housing) in driving disease outbreaks in
captivity is still under-researched, and the impact of poor husbandry appears significant.
The reptile pet trade is now very sophisticated. A vast array of vitamin supplements,
nutritional aids, even skin-shedding rubs are now available. Reptile keepers are now
prepared to invest much more in their animals than 20 years ago, and a growing market for
veterinary care exists. Since the future is likely to see tighter controls on wild animal
trade, herp vets are now in a perfect position to influence conservation by increasing the
success of captive breeding efforts. Finally, let’s not forget why we enjoy working
with reptiles and amphibians. It’s time to spread the word that reptiles and
amphibians are magnificent creatures, worthy of the same veterinary input as their
charismatic megafaunal cousins!
Yours,
Peter Daszak
Institute of Ecology
University of Georgia
This Page Last Updated October 16, 2000 |