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Chytrid in the clouds: an alternative passive transport of a lethal pathogen for amphibians

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Abstract

Fog is an important water input in ecosystems and a carrier of microorganisms, including unicellular pathogens. The aquatic amphibian-killing fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has a complex transport dynamic. Understanding how the exposure of amphibians to Bd can occur is important for the development of control measurements and for preventing die-offs. Therefore, we tested if the fog water may transport Bd. We collected fog and rainwater in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and experimentally tested if Bd from artificial and natural fog exposures would infect amphibians. We report the first evidence of Bd DNA in fog and corroborate previous data documenting Bd DNA in rainwater. Furthermore, our results indicate that susceptible hosts can be infected and develop lethal chytridiomycosis through the passive transport of Bd live zoospores by the artificial fog. Our results extend the current knowledge about Bd transport pathways between environmental reservoirs. A new short- to medium-range dispersal pathway through fog may explain patterns of pathogen occurrence and opens new avenues of investigation to elucidate exposure mechanisms of direct-developing amphibians to aquatic pathogens.

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Acknowledgements

We thank João P. Bovolon and Joice Ruggeri for support in the field; Ana Clara F. Barbosa for assistance in the laboratory; László K. Nagy for contributing with samples from PECJ and Luisa P. Ribeiro for filtering and carrying out the DNA extraction and qPCR of some rainwater samples; Domingos S. Leite, Raul C. Pereira, Paulo S. M. C. Oliveira, Rafael S. Oliveira, Carla M. Lopes, Carol Lambertini, Marcelo Sturaro, and Martin Pareja for previous discussions about the project. We thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. Grants and fellowships were provided by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP #2016/25358-3; #2019/18335-5; #2020/00099-0; #2020/02991-8; #2020/02994-7), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq #300896/2016-6; #302834/2020-6), and by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES—Finance Code 001).

Funding

This work was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP #2016/25358-3; #2019/18335-5; #2020/02991-8; #2020/00099-0), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq #300896/2016–6; #302834/2020-6), and by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES—Finance Code 001).

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  1. Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil

    Joelma S. Prado, Julia R. Ernetti, Mariana Retuci Pontes & L. Felipe Toledo

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil

    Joelma S. Prado, Julia R. Ernetti & Mariana Retuci Pontes

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  1. Joelma S. Prado
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Prado, J.S., Ernetti, J.R., Pontes, M.R. et al. Chytrid in the clouds: an alternative passive transport of a lethal pathogen for amphibians. Hydrobiologia 850, 2061–2073 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-023-05218-2

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