Minimising exposure of amphibians to pathogens during field studies

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Many of the recent global amphibian mass mortalities, declines, and extinctions have been attributed to the emerging infectious disease chytridiomycosis. There have been mass mortalities due to ranaviral disease but no major declines or extinctions. Controlling the transmission and spread of disease is of utmost importance, especially where there is potential for human involvement. The authors reviewed current hygiene guidelines for working with wild frogs, identified potential flaws, and recommended those most suitable and effective for the field environment. Their within-site hygiene measures aim to reduce the risk of transmission among individuals. These measures encompass the capture, handling, and holding of amphibians; skin disinfection before and after invasive procedures; marking frogs; sealing open wounds; and treatment of accessory equipment. Their between-site hygiene measures aim to mitigate the risk of pathogen spread among populations. The authors designed a risk calculator to help simplify and standardize the decision-making process for determining the level of risk and appropriate risk mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of increasing pathogen spread above background levels. Calculation of an overall risk score for pathogen spread takes into account the prior activity of field workers, the proposed activity, remoteness of the site, presence of known pathogens, and the consequences of increased pathogen spread for amphibians in a given area.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology