DAO 112:251-255 (2015) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02804
NOTE
Asian strain of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is widespread in the Western Ghats, India
Sanjay Molur1,2,3, Keerthi Krutha2, Mandar S. Paingankar1,4, Neelesh Dahanukar1,5,*
ABSTRACT: We investigated the distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) fungal infections in amphibians of the Western Ghats mountain range in India, based on data from 497 samples. Eight individuals were positive, with genomic equivalents ranging from 2 to 785 zoospores. A single widespread Bd strain identical to the haplotype endemic to Asia was isolated. Our findings suggest that chytridiomycosis is widespread among the endemic and threatened amphibians of the entire stretch of the Western Ghats. An ecological niche-based prediction model based on all Bd-positive reports from the Western Ghats to date suggested a higher probability of infection in the central Western Ghats of Karnataka and northern Kerala states, which host a rich diversity of endemic and threatened amphibians.
KEY WORDS: Endemic amphibians · Threatened amphibians · Conservation · Niche modeling
| Full text in pdf format | Cite this article as: Molur S, Krutha K, Paingankar MS, Dahanukar N
(2015) Asian strain of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is widespread in the Western Ghats, India. Dis Aquat Org 112:251-255. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02804
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