# Frogs & Toads > Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae) > Dart Frog Health & Illness >  Chytrid!!!!!!????????

## JSG

To all you experts out there...what the hecks is chytrid? What causes it and how can it be prevented from entering your vivs?
I've just now read that someone has lost his entire collection of frogs due to chytrid! So please inform us if you know ANYTHING about this!

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## bshmerlie

Go to Amphibian Ark and click on The Crisis and then Chytrid fungus. They have a very good article on chytrid and what it is doing to frog population around the world. There is also a documentary called The Thin Green Line that is a must see by every frog lover out there. I think it was made by PBS.  The best two ways to keep chytrid out of your collection is by buying only captive bred frogs from a well known and respected breeder.  The second way is to follow very strict quarantine procedures when you bring any new frog into your collection. Preferably the quarantined frog isn't even in the same room as the rest of your frog tanks. Do some research on some of the quarantine procedures and follow them.  Its easier to prevent diseases from getting into your collection that it is to try to get rid of it once its there.  Hope this helps....and check out that website.

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## Leefrogs

also fully sterlize anything you use from outside, the 3 B's.  Bake, boil, or bleach. Bleach water dilute 1/10 water, soak overnight, scrub, and soak in clean water overnight. There's also a chytrid map, I don't know if Africa has had any in the wild, even if not, sterilize anyway.

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## Terry

Hi! 

The African Amphibian Conservation Group has some info on chytrid, Their home page is AACRG.

There is a short article you can download that explains the connection between chytrid and the common platanna (_Xenopus laevis_), Animal Aid: Endangered frogs - the vivisection connection

Chytrid affects frogs in Australia. DECCW | Frog Chytrid fungus

I hope some of the resources will help you to understand what chytrid is and how deadly it is. Last summer, I worked at the local zoo who had a close working relationship with the Johannesburg Zoo in the area of amphibian conservation. I had a chance to meet some of the amphibian keepers from South Africa. Some of the amphibians I worked with were carriers of chytrid.

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## Kurt

I would also add to this conversation by saying, chytrid, _Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis_, is a very weak organism and is easily destroyed. It can be killed by the previously mentioned methods, as well as by desiccation and warm temperatures.

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## JSG

Thank you so much Cheri, Ginger and Terry will certainly follow and read up on those links!

@ Terry; do you mean to tell me that our indigenous / native South African Frogs carry this dreaded and fatal fungus? 
This is maybe why I am battling so much as regards to getting anyone from our local Department of Nature Conservation to give me the green light to import my first frogs regardless from where they are or which species!  :Frown:

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## Terry

Hi:

Many scientists studying chytrid say there is an "out of Africa" connection. The disase was first discovered around 1930 in South Arfica among the common platanna (_Xenopus laevis_). These frogs are carriers of chytrid. Since this species is used in and pregnancy testing, labs all over the world dumped their frogs in the local ponds and streams, one reason why this fungual disease spread so quickly around the wgeneticsorld.

Here is an additional report:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol10n...fs/03-0804.pdf

As Kurt mentioned, the disease could be killed by warm temperatures, I understand that the waxy monkey frogs of central and south America may have a natural defense against chytrid since they secrete a "sun screen" that protects their skin from dessication when exposed to the hot sun.

Host species and localities of chytridiomycosis in Africa

BOTSWANA
Host species		Locality	Date	Reference
Pipidae				
	Xenopus laevis	Kanye Youth Centre	Apr-69	Weldon 2005
	Xenopus petersii	Southern Botswana	Apr-65	Weldon 2005

GHANA
Host species		Locality	Date	Reference
Pipidae				
	Xenopus tropicalis	Ghana	2003	Morehouse et al. 2003

KENYA
Host species		Locality	Date	Reference
Ranidae				
	Ptychadena anchietae	Nairobi	2000	Berger & Speare 2000

LESOTHO
Host species		Locality	Date	Reference
Ranidae				
	Afrana dracomontana	near Katsi Dam	Dec-04	Weldon 2005
	Amietia vertebralis	Makheleng River	Sep-00	Weldon 2005
		Matsoku River	Sep-00	Weldon 2005
		Redi river	Sep-00	Weldon 2005
		Sani Tributary	Oct-00	Weldon 2005
		near Katsi Dam	Dec-04	Weldon 2005

SOUTH AFRICA
Host species		Locality	Date	Reference
Bufonidae				
	Bufo robinsoni	Northern Cape, Springbok	Aug-04	Weldon 2005
Heleophrynidae				
	Heleophryne purcelli	Western Cape, Grootwinterhoek	Sep-98	Weldon 2005
	Heleophryne regis	Western Cape, Oudtshoorn	Nov-81	Weldon 2005
Hyperoliidae				
	Kassina senegalensis	Eastern Cape, Kenton on Sea	Oct-04	Weldon 2005
Ranidae				
	Afrana dracomontana	Free State, Meiringskloof	Dec-04	Weldon 2005
	Afrana fuscigula	Northern Cape, Gharries	Jun-96	Weldon 2005
	Afrana fuscigula	Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth	Oct-04	Weldon 2005
	Afrana fuscigula	Eastern Cape, Stutterheim	Sep-02	Lane et al. 2003
	Afrana fuscigula	Northern Cape, Kammieskroon	May-04	Weldon 2005
	Afrana fuscigula	Northern Cape, Kammieskroon	Aug-04	Weldon 2005
	Afrana fuscigula	Northern Cape, Kammiesberg	Aug-04	Weldon 2005
	Afrana fuscigula	Northern Cape, Springbok	Aug-04	Weldon 2005
	Afrana fuscigula	Northern Cape, Goegap NR	Aug-04	Weldon 2005
	Afrana angolensis	Limpopo Province, Bela-Bela	Oct-04	Weldon 2005
	Cacosternum boettgeri	Eastern Cape, Kenton on Sea	Oct-04	Weldon 2005
	Strongylopus fasciatus	Eastern Cape, Kenton on Sea	Oct-04	Weldon 2005
	Tomopterna cryptotis	Limpopo Province, Bela-Bela	Oct-04	Weldon 2005
	Tomopterna natalensis	Limpopo Province, Bela-Bela	Oct-04	Weldon 2005
Pipidae				
	Xenopus gilli	Western Cape	1943	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus gilli	Western Cape, Zeekoeivlei	Jun-76	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Western Cape, Zeekoeivlei	Jun-38	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Eastern Cape, Moordenaarshoek	Dec-72	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Free State, Harrismith	Sep-72	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	KwaZulu-Natal	Dec-73	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Free State, Rosendal	Feb-74	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Western Cape, Touw River 	Aug-74	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Western Cape, Phillipi	1982	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	KwaZulu-Natal, Sudwana Bay	Jan-85	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Free State, Florisbad	Oct-87	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Free State, Koffiefontein	Sep-91	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Free State, Sannaspos	Sep-91	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	KwaZulu-Natal, Mooi River	Dec-95	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Free State, Kommissiepoort	Nov-96	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Northern Cape	Sep-96	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Northern Cape, Windsorton Road	Nov-98	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Western Cape, Stellenbosch 	Sep-01	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Western Cape, Klapmuts	Sep-01	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus laevis	Western Cape, Strand 	Feb-02	Weldon 2005
	Xenopus laevis	Western Cape, Wellington 	Feb-02	Weldon 2005
	Xenopus laevis	Western Cape, Botrivier	Feb-02	Weldon 2005
	Xenopus laevis	Northern Cape, Kammieskroon	Aug-04	Weldon 2005

SWAZILAND
Host species		Locality	Date	Reference
Pipidae				
	Xenopus meulleri	Swaziland	Feb-91	Weldon et al. 2004
	Xenopus meulleri	Swaziland	Feb-98	Weldon et al. 2004

TANZANIA
Host species		Locality	Date	Reference
Bufonidae				
	Nectophrynoides asperginis	Kihansi Gorge	July-03	Weldon & Du Preez 2004
Ranidae				
	Arthroleptidis yakusisni	Udagaji Gorge	Nov-03	Weldon & Du Preez 2004
	Ptychadena anchietae	Kihansi Gorge	Nov-03	Weldon & Du Preez 2004

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## JSG

Terry,
Awesome! Great! Thanks. In other words no Dendrobates or Waxy Monkey Frogs are carriers. I'm sure this info will be very useful! Thanks again!

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## clownonfire

Actually, one of the great breeders in the hobby (FrogFarm's Aaron) is closing his doors as chytrid is getting closer to his house, and keeping it away from his frogs seems like a monumental effort from where he lives right now. Here's the thread on DB: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/gen...ng-spring.html

Eric

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## JSG

Thanks Eric, yip, it is terrible to think that this fungus is closing down a man's bread and butter!

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## Logqan

Chytrid is indeed a scary issue and poor husbandry can lead to some very bad situations. When I do fieldwork I am purposely putting myself into the arms of chytrid and sites where it is very prevalent. I have to make sure I scrub myself clean and my gear as well to make sure I don't hurt my poor amphibians at home. Also about the issue of heat intolerance in chytrid, it is nice that it is easy killed this way sadly many of our beloved amphibians also can't take the heat. STL zoo had their hellbender collection get some infection and through slowly raising all the tank temps over a series of days they were able to kill the chytrid while allowing the hellbenders to slowly adapt to the change. Once the temps came back down the chytrid was gone and the hellbenders were fine. Also on a field note we see a lower rate to almost a no cases of infection in those amphibians who don't become active until warmer temps. Mostly hylids here. This isn't something that is a 100% fact but the evidence seems to be leaning that way.

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