When an infection turns lethal

摘要

It is estimated that roughly one-third of amphibian species are under threat of extinction and that more than 100 species may have become extinct since 1980. The reasons for the decline and extinction of amphibian populations are probably complex and multifactorial. But growing evidence indicates that, in many cases, infectious disease is driving amphibian losses. In particular, the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been linked to the decline of amphibian populations throughout the world. Two related papers published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, by Vredenburg et al and Briggs et al., considerably improve our understanding of the dynamics of B. dendrobatidis infection.