SCIENTISTS DEVELOP NOVEL DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR CHYTRIDIOMYCOSIS, A GLOBAL THREAT TO AMPHIBIANS

Collaboration between Indian, Australian, and Panamanian Researchers Paves the Way for Enhanced Surveillance

journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. The team, consisting of Ph.D. scholars, researchers, and scientists from various institutions, including CCMB, Bangalore University, Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park, Ashoka University in India, the University of New South Wales and James Cook University in Australia, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, conducted extensive testing of the new marker on a diverse range of amphibian species. These includes frogs, toads, caecilians (limbless amphibians), and salamanders (tailed amphibians) The study revealed a staggering 70% prevalence of Chytridiomycosis infection among the tested amphibians, nearly eight times higher than previously reported figures from India.

Effective surveillance and monitoring of Chytridiomycosis are crucial to track and manage infection in amphibian populations, especially in regions where the Bd fungus has become enzootic, meaning it is present but does not cause death Recognizing the limitations of existing diagnostic assays in India, the team embarked on developing a universal, sensitive, specific, repeatable, and affordable diagnostic test to enable efficient surveillance of Chytridiomycosis. The new test, which has exhibited comparable efficiency to the gold-standard diagnostic test recommended for the disease, offers immense potential for widespread surveillance efforts in different parts of the world Additionally, it may provide valuable insights into the transmission and infection pathways associated with Chytridiomycosis.

Dr Karthikeyan Vasudevan, the lead scientist from CCMB involved in the study, highlighted the importance of this breakthrough, stating, "Our previous work on Bd fungus in India had shown that existing diagnostic assays are not sensitive A universal, sensitive, specific, repeatable, and affordable diagnostic test is thus required to perform surveillance of Chytridiomycosis in an efficient manner. Our new diagnostic test works well in India, Australia, and Panama. Its efficiency is comparable to the goldstandard test recommended for Chytridiomycosis. The new test can promote widespread efficient surveillance of Chytridiomycosis in different parts of the world, and it might lead to new insights into the pathway transmission and infection."

The significance of this achievement extends far beyond the laboratory, as it offers a glimmer of hope for the conservation of amphibians, which play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance. Amphibians serve as indicators of environmental health, and their decline can have cascading effects on entire ecosystems. By enabling early detection and surveillance of Chytridiomycosis, this novel diagnostic test can contribute significantly to conservation efforts worldwide Moving forward, international collaborations and continued research