Survey of Turkey's endemic amphibians for chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Dis Aquat Organ. 2014 Sep 30;111(2):153-7. doi: 10.3354/dao02742.

Abstract

We report a new survey for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in Turkey. We swabbed 228 individuals of 7 amphibian species (from 5 families) living in 2 locations (26-August National Park and the Turkish Lakes District) in the southwestern Anatolian region. The infection intensity of all the samples was determined using quantitative PCR. All 4 amphibian breeding sites and 4 amphibian species in 26-August National Park were infected by Bd, with the prevalence at each site ranging from 8 to 29%. Only 1 species was sampled from Beysehir Lake near the conservation area Beysehir Natural Park, but these samples were notable for their high detection rates (prevalence of 32.11%). This study reports the first records of Bd infecting wild Pelophylax ridibundus, Hyla orientalis, Pseudepidalea variabilis, and endemic Beysehir frogs Pelophylax caralitanus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amphibians / microbiology*
  • Animals
  • Chytridiomycota / isolation & purification*
  • Mycoses / epidemiology
  • Mycoses / microbiology
  • Mycoses / veterinary*
  • Turkey / epidemiology