First Record of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Parané, Brazil

First Record of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Parané, Brazil

AMphibian Diseases
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© 2012 by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
First Record of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in
Paraná, Brazil
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been reported
in seven of twenty-seven federative states of Brazil, including
Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo (Toledo et
al. 2006). Despite its apparent widespread occurrence in Brazil,
there are many distributional gaps in our knowledge that are
yet to be filled. Understanding the distribution of Bd is urgently
needed for the development and implementation of amphibian
conservation action plans (Verdade et al. 2012). Herein, we provide the first report Bd in the state of Paraná, Brazil.
Samples were collected on 26 March 2011 at the municipality
of Morretes, within the Atlantic Forest (Fig. 1). Nine tadpoles of
two species [Hylodes cardosoi (Hylodidae; N = 8) and Hypsiboas
faber (Hylidae; N = 1)] were collected at the Estrada da Graciosa
(PR-410, 25.351297°S, 48.882148°W, 470 m elev.) and examined in
the laboratory for Bd. Two methods of chytrid diagnosis were applied: cytology (direct observation under the microscope without stains); and isolation of fungus strains in cultures (Longcore
et al. 1999).
We detected Bd in 7 of 9 individuals we examined: 6 of 8 Hylodes cardosoi and 1 of 1 Hypsiboas faber were Bd-positive. Diagnosis was confirmed by the lack of keratin in mouthparts of the
infected tadpoles, and the presence of Bd zoosporangia in the still
keratinized regions of the mouth; some zoosporangia presented
a medium septum (Berger et al. 2000) (Fig. 2). Following microscopic analysis, we isolated the Bd fungus (strain CLFT 024) in
solid growth medium cultures of 1% tryptone agar (Fig. 2).
Our detection of Bd from Morretes fills a 200 km knowledge
gap in the distribution of Bd in Brazil. The site is approximately
100 km north of São Bento do Sul, Santa Catarina, and 100 km
Conrado Augusto Vieira1
e-mail: [email protected]
Carlos Henrique L. N. Almeida2
e-mail: [email protected]
Carolina Lambertini 1
e-mail: [email protected]
Domingos da SIlva Leite1
e-mail: [email protected]
Luís Felipe Toledo2
e-mail: [email protected]
Laboratório de Antígenos Bacterianos II, Departamento Genética,
Evolução e Bioagentes, Instituto de Biologia,
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
2
Museu de Zoologia “Prof. Adão José Cardoso,” Instituto de Biologia,
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP),
Caixa Postal 6109, 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
1
Fig. 1. Location of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis sampling in the
city of Morretes, state of Paraná, southern Brazil. SP = São Paulo, PR
= Paraná, SC = Santa Catarina.
Herpetological Review 43(1), 2012
94
AMphibian Diseases
Fig. 2. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis diagnosis by visual examination (A and D: lack of keratin in the tadpole mouthparts indicated by an
arrow); cytology (B and E: optical microscope at 400× amplification, arrows indicating zoosporangia), and isolation (C and F: mTGh culture
medium, with the arrows indicating zoospores and zoosporangia) methods. Top row of images A–C were taken from Hylodes cardosoi; bottom
row images D–F were taken from Hypsiboas faber, as labeled.
south of Apiaí, São Paulo, which were the nearest sites last reported (Carnaval et al. 2006; Toledo et al. 2006). Also, this site is
the type and only known locality of Cycloramphus rhyakonastes
(Cycloramphidae; Heyer 1983), which is listed as endangered for
the state (Mikich and Bérnils 2004). As the tadpoles of both species (H. cardosoi and H. faber) may live for one year or more in
the water bodies, they may be serving as reservoirs of the fungus
and infecting other species in the area. Hence, further Bd monitoring at this site is warranted to assess the potential threat of
chytridiomycosis to these populations.
Other Bd distributional gaps exist in Brazil. For example,
the occurrence of the fungus has not been studied between the
states of Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco, indicating a lack of
sampling across the Atlantic Forest.
Three Bd strains have been previously isolated from Brazil;
two (CLFT 001/10 and CLFT 021/01) from Serra do Japi, Jundiaí
and Cabreúva, São Paulo, and one (CLFT 023/01) in Monte Verde,
Camanducaia, Minas Gerais (unpublished data). We report the
isolation of a fourth strain (CLFT 024) from the Brazilian Atlantic
Forest. The isolation of strains is important because it provides
the basis for studies of fungal molecular biology, virology, biogeography, physiology, morphology, and amphibian conservation.
In particular, amphibian host-specific virulence patterns of different Bd strains are not well known, which could have direct relevance to amphibian conservation efforts.
Acknowledgments.—We thank Diogo Henrique Moraes for help
with laboratory work and Mirtis M. G. Ferraz for support and enthusiasm in microbiology. FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do
Estado de São Paulo) provided a grant (08/50325-5) and scholarships
(08/52847-9 and 2010/15259-1).
Resumo.—Reportamos aqui pela primeira vez a ocorrência
do fungo quitrídio (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) no estado
brasileiro do Paraná. A descoberta é preocupante, pois espécies
endêmicas e ameaçadas de extinção vivem nos mesmos corpos
d’água onde foi encontrado o fungo, organismo que pode ser letal
para anfíbios.
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Herpetological Review 43(1), 2012