The frog-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has already led to the decline of more than 200 amphibian species worldwide. The fungus is a chytrid fungus that causes the disease chytridiomycosis in amphibians. Amphibians infected with B. dendrobatidis appear lethargic, this is followed excessive skin shedding which causes eventual death.
In an attempt to find out my some types of frog are more resistant to the fungus than others, scientists have tried applying beneficial bacteria found on the skin of various resistant wild Panamanian frog species to frogs that are prone to suffering from the fungus. This is to determine if this stimulates defense against the disease. Trials carried out in test tubes suggested that a bacterial laden chemical would work.
Scientists found that treatment with beneficial bacteria was not successful. This was because the bacterial coating they prepared did not affix to frog skin. The next step is to find a means to confer protection.
Although an anti-fungal frog coating could not be practically applied in the wild, scientists hope that it can be used for frogs that are held in captivity.
The research has been conducted at Virginia Tech and the results have been reported to Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The paper is titled “Composition of symbiotic bacteria predicts survival in Panamanian golden frogs infected with a lethal fungus.”
In an alternative strand of research, scientists are wondering if low level exposure to the fungus can help build up resistance. Digital Journal reported in 2014 that exposing the fungus to frogs, so that it did not allow the infection to take hold, led to frogs that had been exposed multiple times faring much better than frogs that had not met the fungus before. It is thought that this process enables frogs to develop immunity.
