Mitigating Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in Europe

[EN] The infectious chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) has been responsible for severe population declines of salamander populations in Europe. Serious population declines and loss of urodelan diversity may occur if appropriate action is not taken to mitigate against the further spread and impact of Bsal. We provide an overview of several potential mitigation methods, and describe their possible advantages and limitations. We conclude that long-term, context-dependent, multi-faceted approaches are needed to successfully mitigate adverse effects of Bsal, and that these approaches should be initiated pre-arrival of the pathogen. The establishment of ex situ assurance colonies, or management units, for species threatened with extinction, should be considered as soon as possible. While ex situ conservation and preventive measures aimed at improving biosecurity by limiting amphibian trade may be implemented quickly, major challenges that lie ahead are in designing in situ disease containment and mitigation post-arrival and in increasing public awareness.This work was supported by the European Commission (Tender ENV.B.3/SER/2016/0028, Mitigating a new infectious disease in salamanders to counteract the loss of biodiversity). E.V. and S.C. are supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO grants 12E6616N and FWO16/PDO/019 respectively). D.S.S. and A.L. were supported by the Belmont Forum (DFG-SCHM 3059/6-1) and the Axa Research Fund through the project GloMEC. M.C.F. was supported by NERC (NE/K014455/1), the Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2014-273), the Morris Animal Foundation (D16ZO-022) and the Canadian CIFAR “Fungal Kingdom” programme. T.W.J.G. was supported by NERC (NE/S000992/1, NE/N009967/1). S.L., S.S., M. Vences, M. Veith and N.W. were supported by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) (R+D project “Monitoring und Entwicklung von Vorsorgemaßnahmen zum Schutz vor der Ausbreitung des Chytridpilzes Batrachochytriumsalamandrivorans (“Bsal”) im Freiland”). S.L., N.W., Michael Veith and Miguel Vences were also supported by a seed grant from Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)

Mitigating Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in Europe

The infectious chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) has been responsible for severe population declines of salamander populations in Europe. Serious population declines and loss of urodelan diversity may occur if appropriate action is not taken to mitigate against the further spread and impact of Bsal. We provide an overview of several potential mitigation methods, and describe their possible advantages and limitations. We conclude that long-term, context-dependent, multi-faceted approaches are needed to successfully mitigate adverse effects of Bsal, and that these approaches should be initiated pre-arrival of the pathogen. The establishment of ex situ assurance colonies, or management units, for species threatened with extinction, should be considered as soon as possible. While ex situ conservation and preventive measures aimed at improving biosecurity by limiting amphibian trade may be implemented quickly, major challenges that lie ahead are in designing in situ disease containment and mitigation post-arrival and in increasing public awareness