27. DETECTION OF CHYTRIDIOMYCOSIS FROM FIELD SAMPLES IN NORTH GEORGIA AMPHIBIAN POPULATIONS

Abstract

Global decline in ecological diversity has emerged as one of the most pressing biological problems over the past century. Amphibians have experienced severe population declines and mass extinctions throughout the world due, in part, to a water borne fungal pathogen called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). This agent is the cause of Chytridiomycosis, an infectious skin disease which causes hyperkeratosis of keratin skin cells in some amphibian species. Chytridiomycosis is sporadically fatal to various amphibian species and has been identified as a major cause of global amphibian declines. Although Bd has been heavily investigated over the past decade, little research has been conducted on North Georgia’s diverse amphibian populations. To survey for the presence of Bd, we collected samples from wild amphibians caught in the field from three sites in the North Georgia Piedmont region from spring 2013 to late fall 2015. Wild amphibians were caught and swabbed at the sites before their release. DNA was extracted from the swab samples and nested Polymerase Chain Reactions (nested PCR) was performed using two sequential sets of primers to amplify the DNA for stronger amplified bands that allowed for better detection of Bd DNA. DNA bands were observed using gel electrophoresis. To date, we have collected over 320 samples from 3 study sites. Of these, 106 have been analyzed for Chytrid, with one positive reading found in a Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea).