Integral chain management of wildlife diseases

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has caused the most prominent loss of vertebrate diversity ever recorded, which peaked in the 1980s. Recent incursion by its sister species B. salamandrivorans in Europe raised the alarm for a new wave of declines and extinctions in western Palearctic urodeles. The European Commission has responded by restricting amphibian trade. However, private amphibian collections, the main end consumers, were exempted from the European legislation. Here, we report how invasion by a released, exotic newt coincided with B. salamandrivorans invasion at over 1000 km from the nearest natural outbreak site, causing mass mortality in indigenous marbled newts (Triturus marmoratus), and posing an acute threat to the survival of nearby populations of the most critically endangered European newt species (Montseny brook newt, Calotriton arnoldi). Disease management was initiated shortly after detection in a close collaboration between policy and science and included drastic on site measures and intensive disease surveillance. Despite these efforts, the disease is considered temporarily contained but not eradicated and continued efforts will be necessary to minimize the probability of further pathogen dispersal. This precedent demonstrates the importance of tackling wildlife diseases at an early stage using an integrated approach, involving all stakeholders and closing loopholes in existing regulations

Amphibian Population Management in Southern Europe to contain and Eliminate a local outbreak of Batrachochytrium Salamandrivorans (BSAL)

Presentation given at the XX European Congress of Herpetology, held in Milan (Italy), on 2-6th September 2019.We report an outbreak of Bsal in a wild amphibian population of southern Europe. The infection was detected in March 2018, in a small reservoir inside a natural protected area of Catalonia (northeastern Spain), resulting in high mortality of Triturus marmoratus. Analyses of the amphibian population detected Bsal, B. dendrobatidis (Bd) and Ranavirus. The early detection of the chytrid infection facilitated a quick intervention to try to eradicate the outbreak by isolating the infected area (“ground zero”), managing the affected amphibian population and monitoring the surrounding populations within the same valley. The infected area was fenced to prevent the access. The stream that fed the reservoir was diverted and a central pond was modified as an amphibians trap to remove as much animals from the population as possible. The traps and ground zero were checked twice a week and all amphibians were preserved and tested for emergent diseases. Temperature data loggers were placed for long-term monitoring. A strict biosecurity protocol has been in place and the workers involved have been fully trained. 1,323 individuals of 10 amphibian species were captured in 2018 and, in autumn-winter 2018-19, all sampled individuals tested negative. In spring 2019, new cases of Bsal infection were detected, affecting T. marmoratus and Salamandra salamandra. The infection has not extended beyond ground zero. Interestingly, Bd has not been detected since autumn 2018. This finding demonstrates that even quick and rigorous action is not sufficient to eradicate Bsal from natural populations and stresses the need for long-term disease management.Peer reviewe

Analysis of Outcomes in Ischemic vs Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation A Report From the GARFIELD-AF Registry

IMPORTANCE Congestive heart failure (CHF) is commonly associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), and their combination may affect treatment strategies and outcomes