A deadly fungus threatening salamanders and newts in Europe – La Vanguardia

disease very serious caused by fungus Asian origin Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans , described scientifically only a year ago, is causing a deadly plague in populations of Salamanders and newts in various parts of Europe and threatens to spread across the continent and even affect amphibians in the Americas according to results of a study published on Friday October 31 in the journal Science .

The team led by Karen Lips, University of Maryland (United States) -and who participated in the Spanish researcher Jaime Bosch, a researcher at the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) in Madrid stresses that the infection is lethal for many species and is easily spread through international trade in animals company, so that demand for international and state authorities to take preventive measures.

Experts believe that although it was not described until last year, the fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans probably originated in Southeast Asia 30 million years ago and arrived in Europe a few years ago through international trade of Asian newts, which are popular among fans amphibians.

After the fungus was discovered in Europe last year, an international team initiated a study examining more than 5,000 amphibians on four continents. His published in Science results now show that the fungus is lethal to at least a dozen species of salamanders and newts Europeans and Americans.

The so-called Chinese fire belly newts are potential carriers of B. salamandrivorans , and it is estimated that between 2001 and 2099 over 2.3 million copies of this species were imported into the US for the pet trade.

“If scientists and policymakers can work together on this, we have a unique opportunity to stop an epidemic spreading throughout the world, with potentially fatal effects,” said Karen Lips.

Potential Impact populations in Spain

So far this fungus, which causes lesions on the skin of amphibians to cause his death, one was found, well as in Asia, populations of the Netherlands and Belgium, but according to researchers, is likely to spread rapidly across the continent. The Alpine newt and newt newt, two amphibious protected in Spain, are among the species that die quickly once they are infected

The Alpine newt ( Alpine newt ) and triton newt ( Iberian ribbed newt ), two amphibians protected in Spain, are among the species that die quickly once they are infected with B. salamandrivorans .

“Thanks to the analysis of specimens from the collections of several museums of natural history in different countries, know that this fungus is present in amphibians in Thailand, Vietnam and Japan since the end of nineteenth century without them from suffering significant effects, which suggests that the fungus is native to that area of ​​the world, “he explained to SINC Jaime Bosch, a researcher at the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) in Madrid, and coauthor of study is now published in Science. “This fungus is harmful to our wildlife and the Spanish authorities should take appropriate action,” says Jaime Bosch.

Living organisms develop resistance to pathogens with which they live long, but they are very vulnerable new pathogens with which they come in contact abruptly. Globalization allows rapid movement of animals and humans throughout the world and, therefore, pathogens such as B. salamandrivorans seriously endanger many species when in contact with those who have not yet developed resistance.

This fungus is the same gender as another called “dentrobatidis Batrachochytrium” described in 1998 and that, for example, in 1999 almost ended with some species of frog in the Sierra de Guadarrama, Madrid, Jaime Bosch told Efe. Unlike that one, this new fungus researchers still do not know most of its features, but it is deadly for salamanders and newts, but not for other amphibians such as frogs, toads, and caecilians, which is native to Asia .

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