Bat trait, genetic and pathogen data from large-scale investigations of African fruit bats, Eidolon helvum

Alison J. Peel [et al.]Bats, including African straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum), have been highlighted as reservoirs of many recently emerged zoonotic viruses. This common, widespread and ecologically important species was the focus of longitudinal and continent-wide studies of the epidemiological and ecology of Lagos bat virus, henipaviruses and Achimota viruses. Here we present a spatial, morphological, demographic, genetic and serological dataset encompassing 2827 bats from nine countries over an 8-year period. Genetic data comprises cytochrome b mitochondrial sequences (n=608) and microsatellite genotypes from 18 loci (n=544). Tooth-cementum analyses (n=316) allowed derivation of rare age-specific serologic data for a lyssavirus, a henipavirus and two rubulaviruses. This dataset contributes a substantial volume of data on the ecology of E. helvum and its viruses and will be valuable for a wide range of studies, including viral transmission dynamic modelling in age-structured populations, investigation of seasonal reproductive asynchrony in wide-ranging species, ecological niche modelling, inference of island colonisation history, exploration of relationships between island and body size, and various spatial analyses of demographic, morphometric or serological data.Peer Reviewe

Ophthalmological lesion in a wild individual of Mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax)

In spite of the amount of anatomical studies that have been made in regards to the amphibian eye, relatively little has been written about clinical manifestations or diseases affecting the eye in amphibians. Moreover, the majority of research has focused on ocular diseases or lesions of amphibians kept in captivity. We report on a wild Mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax), a critically endangered species, with an ophthalmological lesion in the left eye and try to reach a possible differential diagnosis for it. We intend to bridge the available knowledge on this topic and understand the problems affecting wild individuals

La aplicación de la gamificación y el aprendizaje basado en juegos en la enseñanza de la biología

En el presente Trabajo Fin de Máster (TFM) se expone el diseño y la implementación de una propuesta didáctica basada en la gamificación y el aprendizaje basado en juegos (GBL por sus siglas en inglés), que se desarrollaron durante ocho sesiones didácticas consecutivas en dos grupos bilingües en inglés de 1º de E.S.O. Se hace una valoración desde el punto de vista didáctico y una justificación construyendo un marco teórico sobre la propuesta didáctica implementada durante dos unidades didácticas. Al mismo tiempo se reflexiona sobre los métodos utilizados para obtener tanto una evaluación inicial como una evaluación final de los alumnos. Se hace también una evaluación general de la propuesta didáctica, exponiendo tanto los aspectos positivos como aquellos no tan positivos que hayan podido surgir durante la implementación de la propuesta y, se plantean aquellas propuestas de mejora que se considere que podrían aportar a la misma

Infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis lowers heat tolerance of tadpole hosts and cannot be cleared by brief exposure to CTmax

Climate change and infectious disease by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) are major drivers of amphibian extinctions, but the potential interactions of these two factors are not fully understood. Temperature is known to influence (1) the infectivity, pathogenicity and virulence of Bd; (2) host-parasite dynamics, especially when both hosts and parasites are ectothermic organisms exhibiting thermal sensitivities that may or may not differ; and (3) amphibian vulnerability to extinction depending on their heat tolerance, which may decrease with infection. Thus, in a global warming scenario, with rising temperatures and more frequent and extreme weather events, amphibians infected by Bd could be expected to be more vulnerable if temperatures approach their critical thermal maximum (CTmax). However, it is also possible that predicted high temperatures could clear the Bd infection, thus enhancing amphibian survival. We tested these hypotheses by measuring CTmax values of Bd-infected and Bd-free aquatic tadpoles and terrestrial toadlets/juveniles of the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) and examining whether exposure of A. obstetricans individuals to peak temperatures reaching their CTmax clears them from Bd infection. We show that (1) Bd has a wide thermal tolerance range; (2) Bd is capable of altering the thermal physiology of A. obstetricans, which is stage-dependent, lowering CTmax in tadpoles but not in toadlets; and (3) Bd infection is not cleared after exposure of tadpoles or toadlets to CTmax. Living under climatic change with rising temperatures, the effect of Bd infection might tip the balance and lead some already threatened amphibian communities towards extinction

Successful elimination of a lethal wildlife infectious disease in nature

Methods to mitigate the impacts of emerging infectious diseases affecting wildlife are urgently needed to combat loss of biodiversity. However, the successful mitigation of wildlife pathogens in situ has rarely occurred. Indeed, most strategies for combating wildlife diseases remain theoretical, despite the wealth of information available for combating infections in livestock and crops. Here, we report the outcome of a 5-year effort to eliminate infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis affecting an island system with a single amphibian host. Our initial efforts to eliminate infection in the larval reservoir using a direct application of an antifungal were successful ex situ but infection returned to previous levels when tadpoles with cleared infections were returned to their natal sites. We subsequently combined antifungal treatment of tadpoles with environmental chemical disinfection. Infection at four of the five pools where infection had previously been recorded was eradicated, and remained so for 2 years post-application.This work was funded by Fundacio´n General CSIC, Banco Santander and BiodivERsA project RACE.Peer reviewe

Bat trait, genetic and pathogen data from large-scale investigations of African fruit bats, Eidolon helvum.

Bats, including African straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum), have been highlighted as reservoirs of many recently emerged zoonotic viruses. This common, widespread and ecologically important species was the focus of longitudinal and continent-wide studies of the epidemiological and ecology of Lagos bat virus, henipaviruses and Achimota viruses. Here we present a spatial, morphological, demographic, genetic and serological dataset encompassing 2827 bats from nine countries over an 8-year period. Genetic data comprises cytochrome b mitochondrial sequences (n=608) and microsatellite genotypes from 18 loci (n=544). Tooth-cementum analyses (n=316) allowed derivation of rare age-specific serologic data for a lyssavirus, a henipavirus and two rubulaviruses. This dataset contributes a substantial volume of data on the ecology of E. helvum and its viruses and will be valuable for a wide range of studies, including viral transmission dynamic modelling in age-structured populations, investigation of seasonal reproductive asynchrony in wide-ranging species, ecological niche modelling, inference of island colonisation history, exploration of relationships between island and body size, and various spatial analyses of demographic, morphometric or serological data.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2016.4

Henipavirus Neutralising Antibodies in an Isolated Island Population of African Fruit Bats

Isolated islands provide valuable opportunities to study the persistence of viruses in wildlife populations, including population size thresholds such as the critical community size. The straw-coloured fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, has been identified as a reservoir for henipaviruses (serological evidence) and Lagos bat virus (LBV; virus isolation and serological evidence) in continental Africa. Here, we sampled from a remote population of E. helvum annobonensis fruit bats on Annobón island in the Gulf of Guinea to investigate whether antibodies to these viruses also exist in this isolated subspecies. Henipavirus serological analyses (Luminex multiplexed binding and inhibition assays, virus neutralisation tests and western blots) and lyssavirus serological analyses (LBV: modified Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralisation test, LBV and Mokola virus: lentivirus pseudovirus neutralisation assay) were undertaken on 73 and 70 samples respectively. Given the isolation of fruit bats on Annobón and their lack of connectivity with other populations, it was expected that the population size on the island would be too small to allow persistence of viruses that are thought to cause acute and immunising infections. However, the presence of antibodies against henipaviruses was detected using the Luminex binding assay and confirmed using alternative assays. Neutralising antibodies to LBV were detected in one bat using both assays. We demonstrate clear evidence for exposure of multiple individuals to henipaviruses in this remote population of E. helvum annobonensis fruit bats on Annobón island. The situation is less clear for LBV. Seroprevalences to henipaviruses and LBV in Annobón are notably different to those in E. helvum in continental locations studied using the same sampling techniques and assays. Whilst cross-sectional serological studies in wildlife populations cannot provide details on viral dynamics within populations, valuable information on the presence or absence of viruses may be obtained and utilised for informing future studies

Quitridiomicosis en anfibios: inmunidad, tratamiento y mitigación en el medio natural

La quitridiomicosis, una enfermedad causada por un agente patógeno fúngico, se ha convertido en la enfermedad infecciosa emergente responsable de la mayor pérdida de biodiversidad en la historia de nuestro planeta desde que se tienen registros históricos. Dicha enfermedad, ha afectado ya a más de 1000 especies de anfibios, ha jugado un papel principal en el declive de al menos 500 de esas especies, y ha convertido así a estos animales en la Clase de vertebrados más amenazada de la Tierra. Esta patología que afecta a la piel de los anfibios, está originada por el hongo quitridio Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (de aquí en adelante, Bd) y afecta a multitud de especies principalmente de anuros. Hasta ahora Bd era el único miembro del Filo Chytridiomycota capaz de causar una enfermedad en vertebrados. No obstante, recientemente se ha descrito una nueva especie de hongo quitridio, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (de aquí en adelante, Bsal), que también muestra esta capacidad infectiva en vertebrados y que afecta más directamente a anfibios urodelos como las salamandras..

In-situ severe breeding habitat intervention only achieves temporary success in reducing Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection

Chytridiomycosis, an emerging infectious disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is causing sharp declines in amphibian populations around the globe. A substantial research effort has been made to study the disease, including treatments against Bd, but most treatments have been applied to captive amphibians only. We report a study aimed at clearing wild populations of the Common Midwife toad Alytes obstetricans. We removed all larvae from natural breeding sites (cattle troughs) and conducted two types of severe breeding habitat manipulation (complete drying and fencing for the whole breeding season). While larval removal followed by drying was a successful method of Bd elimination, the effect was only temporary. Since terrestrial habits of adult A. obstetricans prevent them from infection, our findings suggest that, even in simple breeding habitats where all aquatic amphibian stages can be handled and extreme habitat intervention is possible, Bd cannot be eliminated without controlling other potential Bd reservoirs in the surroundings of breeding sites.This work was funded by Fundación General CSIC and Banco Santander (Zero projects, PI: J. Bosch). LB was supported by Basque Government funds (IT951-16) to the Stream Ecology Group at UPV/EHU led by J. Pozo

Short term minimum water temperatures determine levels of infection by the amphibian chytrid fungus in Alytes obstetricans tadpoles

Received: September 11, 2014; Accepted: February 4, 2015; Published: March 20, 2015Amphibians are one of the groups of wildlife most seriously threatened by emerging infectious disease. In particular, chytridiomycosis, caused by the aquatic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, is responsible for amphibian species declines on a worldwide scale. Population-level outcomes following the introduction of the pathogen are context dependent and mediated by a large suite of abiotic and biotic variables. In particular, studies have shown that temperature has a key role in determining infection dynamics owing to the ectothermic nature of the amphibian host and temperature-dependency of pathogen growth rates. To assess the temperature-dependent seasonality of infectious burdens in a susceptible host species, we monitored lowland populations of larval midwife toads, Alytes obstetricians, in Central Spain throughout the year. We found that infections were highly seasonal, and inversely correlated against water temperature, with the highest burdens of infection seen during the colder months. Short-term impacts of water-temperature were found, with the minimum temperatures occurring before sampling being more highly predictive of infectious burdens than were longer-term spans of temperature. Our results will be useful for selecting the optimal time for disease surveys and, more broadly, for determining the key periods to undertake disease mitigation.The study was funded by Fundación General CSIC and Banco Santander.Peer reviewe