The Alternate Role of Direct and Environmental Transmission in Fungal Infectious Disease in Wildlife: Threats for Biodiversity Conservation

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2015 May 21

PMID 25992836

Citations 8

Authors

Farah N Al-Shorbaji

Rodolphe E Gozlan

Benjamin Roche

J Robert Britton

Demetra Andreou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Emerging fungal pathogens have substantial consequences for infected hosts, as revealed by the global decline of amphibian species from the chytrid fungus. According to the "curse of the Pharaoh" hypothesis, free-living infectious stages typical of fungal pathogens lengthen the timespan of transmission. Free-living infectious stages whose lifespan exceeds the infection time of their hosts are not constrained by virulence, enabling them to persist at high levels and continue transmitting to further sensitive hosts. Using the only Mesomycetozoea fungal species that can be cultured, Sphaerothecum destruens, we obtained tractable data on infectivity and pathogen life cycle for the first time. Here, based on the outcomes of a set of infectious trials and combined with an epidemiological model, we show a high level of dependence on direct transmission in crowded, confined environments and establish that incubation rate and length of infection dictate the epidemic dynamics of fungal disease. The spread of Mesomycetozoea in the wild raise ecological concerns for a range of susceptible species including birds, amphibians and mammals. Our results shed light on the risks associated with farming conditions and highlight the additional risk posed by invasive species that are highly abundant and can act as infectious reservoir hosts.

Citing Articles

Environmental associations of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, the causative agent of ophidiomycosis in snakes.

Friedeman N, Carter E, Kingsbury B, Ravesi M, Josimovich J, Matthews M PLoS One. 2024; 19(10):e0310954.

PMID: 39436883 PMC: 11495611. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310954.

Invasibility of a North American soil ecosystem to amphibian-killing fungal pathogens.

McGrath-Blaser S, McGathey N, Pardon A, Hartmann A, Longo A Proc Biol Sci. 2024; 291(2021):20232658.

PMID: 38628130 PMC: 11021929. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2658.

Emergence of the Fungal Rosette Agent in the World: Current Risk to Fish Biodiversity and Aquaculture.

Gozlan R, Combe M J Fungi (Basel). 2023; 9(4).

PMID: 37108882 PMC: 10145687. DOI: 10.3390/jof9040426.

Soil Reservoir Dynamics of , the Causative Agent of Snake Fungal Disease.

Campbell L, Burger J, Zappalorti R, Bunnell J, Winzeler M, Taylor D J Fungi (Basel). 2021; 7(6).

PMID: 34201162 PMC: 8226778. DOI: 10.3390/jof7060461.

Native drivers of fish life history traits are lost during the invasion process.

Gozlan R, Zahorska E, Cherif E, Asaeda T, Britton J, Chang C Ecol Evol. 2020; 10(16):8623-8633.

PMID: 32884645 PMC: 7452779. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6521.

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