Worldwide frog population threatened by fungus

[lftipton]

Hey everyone
This is a very interesting article I found this morning...
Worldwide frog population threatened by fungus
2007-02-17
Global warming has allowed the global warming has allowed the chytrid fungus -- which kills frogs by growing on their skin and attacking their epidermis and teeth, as well as by releasing a toxin -- to thrive in Costa Rica and neighboring countries. The higher temperatures result in more water vapor in the air, which in turn forms a cloud cover that leads to cooler days and warmer nights. These conditions favor the fungus, which grows and -- which kills frogs by growing on their skin and attacking their epidermis and teeth, as well as by releasing a toxin -- to thrive in Costa Rica and neighboring countries. The higher temperatures result in more water vapor in the air, which in turn forms a cloud cover that leads to cooler days and warmer nights. These conditions favor the fungus, which grows and reproduces best at temperatures between 63 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Scientists from around the world are meeting in Atlanta Thursday and Friday to organize a worldwide effort to stop a mysterious killer fungus that is decimating frog population around the globe, a phenomenon they compare to the extinction of dinosaurs.

They are asking zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens to take in threatened frogs until the fungus can be stopped.

The aim of the group called Amphibian Ark is to prevent the world's more than 6,000 species of frogs, salamanders and wormlike sicilians from disappearing. Scientists estimate up to 170 species of frogs have become extinct in the past decade from the fungus and other causes, and an additional 1,900 species are threatened.

"This is the precedent of a disease working its way across an entire species on the scale of all mammals, all birds or all fish," said Joseph Mendelson, curator of herpetology at Zoo Atlanta and an organizer of Amphibian Ark. "Humans would be absolutely stupid if they didn't pay attention to that."

Amphibians -- of which frogs make up the majority -- are a vital part of the food chain, eating insects that other animals don't touch and connecting the world of aquatic animals to land dwellers. Without amphibians, the insects that would go unchecked would threaten public health and food supplies.

Amphibians also serve important biomedical purposes. Some species produce a chemical used as a pain reliever for humans; one species is linked to a chemical that disables the virus that causes AIDS.

Amphibian Ark wants zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums in each country to take in at least 500 frogs from a threatened species to protect them from the killer fungus, which is called chytrid fungus. Each frog would get cleaned to make sure it doesn't introduce the scourge into the protected area.

The group estimates it will cost between 400 million U.S. dollars and 500 million dollars to complete the project. It is launching a fundraising campaign next year to create an endowment.

Scientists aren't quite sure of the fungus's origin, but they suspect it might be Africa. The African clawed frog, which carries the fungus on its skin and is immune to its deadly effects, has been shipped all over the world for research.

The clawed frog was also used in hospitals in the 1940s as a way to detect pregnancy in women. It produces eggs when injected with the urine of a pregnant woman.

The fungus works like a parasite that makes it difficult for the frogs to use their pores, quickly causing them to die of dehydration. It has been linked to the extinction of amphibians from Australia to Costa Rica.

Last month, Japan reported its first cases of frog deaths from the fungus, prompting research groups to declare an emergency in the country. On the Caribbean island of Dominica, the fungus has almost wiped out the mountain chicken, a frog species considered an island delicacy.

At Yosemite National Park in California, the mountain yellow-legged frog is close to extinction. The park has only 650 frog populations left, but 85 percent are infected with the fungus and the growing quiet along the park's lakes is evident as many of the frogs are dying off.
The chytrid fungus kills frogs by growing on their skin and attacking their epidermis and teeth, as well as by releasing a toxin.
The drugs currently used to treat the frogs are:Itraconazole, Fluconazole and Miconazole
prayers....Linda

[lftipton]

Hey everyone
This is a very interesting article I found this morning...
Worldwide frog population threatened by fungus
2007-02-17
Global warming has allowed the global warming has allowed the chytrid fungus -- which kills frogs by growing on their skin and attacking their epidermis and teeth, as well as by releasing a toxin -- to thrive in Costa Rica and neighboring countries. The higher temperatures result in more water vapor in the air, which in turn forms a cloud cover that leads to cooler days and warmer nights. These conditions favor the fungus, which grows and -- which kills frogs by growing on their skin and attacking their epidermis and teeth, as well as by releasing a toxin -- to thrive in Costa Rica and neighboring countries. The higher temperatures result in more water vapor in the air, which in turn forms a cloud cover that leads to cooler days and warmer nights. These conditions favor the fungus, which grows and reproduces best at temperatures between 63 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Scientists from around the world are meeting in Atlanta Thursday and Friday to organize a worldwide effort to stop a mysterious killer fungus that is decimating frog population around the globe, a phenomenon they compare to the extinction of dinosaurs.

They are asking zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens to take in threatened frogs until the fungus can be stopped.

The aim of the group called Amphibian Ark is to prevent the world's more than 6,000 species of frogs, salamanders and wormlike sicilians from disappearing. Scientists estimate up to 170 species of frogs have become extinct in the past decade from the fungus and other causes, and an additional 1,900 species are threatened.

"This is the precedent of a disease working its way across an entire species on the scale of all mammals, all birds or all fish," said Joseph Mendelson, curator of herpetology at Zoo Atlanta and an organizer of Amphibian Ark. "Humans would be absolutely stupid if they didn't pay attention to that."

Amphibians -- of which frogs make up the majority -- are a vital part of the food chain, eating insects that other animals don't touch and connecting the world of aquatic animals to land dwellers. Without amphibians, the insects that would go unchecked would threaten public health and food supplies.

Amphibians also serve important biomedical purposes. Some species produce a chemical used as a pain reliever for humans; one species is linked to a chemical that disables the virus that causes AIDS.

Amphibian Ark wants zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums in each country to take in at least 500 frogs from a threatened species to protect them from the killer fungus, which is called chytrid fungus. Each frog would get cleaned to make sure it doesn't introduce the scourge into the protected area.

The group estimates it will cost between 400 million U.S. dollars and 500 million dollars to complete the project. It is launching a fundraising campaign next year to create an endowment.

Scientists aren't quite sure of the fungus's origin, but they suspect it might be Africa. The African clawed frog, which carries the fungus on its skin and is immune to its deadly effects, has been shipped all over the world for research.

The clawed frog was also used in hospitals in the 1940s as a way to detect pregnancy in women. It produces eggs when injected with the urine of a pregnant woman.

The fungus works like a parasite that makes it difficult for the frogs to use their pores, quickly causing them to die of dehydration. It has been linked to the extinction of amphibians from Australia to Costa Rica.

Last month, Japan reported its first cases of frog deaths from the fungus, prompting research groups to declare an emergency in the country. On the Caribbean island of Dominica, the fungus has almost wiped out the mountain chicken, a frog species considered an island delicacy.

At Yosemite National Park in California, the mountain yellow-legged frog is close to extinction. The park has only 650 frog populations left, but 85 percent are infected with the fungus and the growing quiet along the park's lakes is evident as many of the frogs are dying off.
The chytrid fungus kills frogs by growing on their skin and attacking their epidermis and teeth, as well as by releasing a toxin.
The drugs currently used to treat the frogs are:Itraconazole, Fluconazole and Miconazole
prayers....Linda

[lindalu]

How very interesting...........my specialist's PA was looking some stuff up for me and he suggested that they try a course of Itraconazole. He does not think my drs here used the anti-fungals long enough considering the amount of time I have been struggling with this-- and the fact that the stuff under the skin that was florescing decreased with anti-fungal use....................
Linda

[lindalu]

How very interesting...........my specialist's PA was looking some stuff up for me and he suggested that they try a course of Itraconazole. He does not think my drs here used the anti-fungals long enough considering the amount of time I have been struggling with this-- and the fact that the stuff under the skin that was florescing decreased with anti-fungal use....................
Linda

[lftipton]

Originally Posted by lindalu

How very interesting...........my specialist's PA was looking some stuff up for me and he suggested that they try a course of Itraconazole. He does not think my drs here used the anti-fungals long enough considering the amount of time I have been struggling with this-- and the fact that the stuff under the skin that was florescing decreased with anti-fungal use....................
Linda

Linda,
I modified the post after you read it. The chytrid fungus kills frogs by growing on their skin and attacking their epidermis and teeth, as well as by releasing a toxin...sounds a little familiar huh?

[lftipton]

Originally Posted by lindalu

How very interesting...........my specialist's PA was looking some stuff up for me and he suggested that they try a course of Itraconazole. He does not think my drs here used the anti-fungals long enough considering the amount of time I have been struggling with this-- and the fact that the stuff under the skin that was florescing decreased with anti-fungal use....................
Linda

Linda,
I modified the post after you read it. The chytrid fungus kills frogs by growing on their skin and attacking their epidermis and teeth, as well as by releasing a toxin...sounds a little familiar huh?