TY - JOUR
T1 - Snake fungal disease
T2 - An emerging threat to wild snakes
AU - Lorch, Jeffrey M.
AU - Knowles, Susan
AU - Lankton, Julia S.
AU - Michell, Kathy
AU - Edwards, Jaime L.
AU - Kapfer, Joshua M.
AU - Staffen, Richard A.
AU - Wild, Erik R.
AU - Schmidt, Katie Z.
AU - Ballmann, Anne E.
AU - Blodgett, Doug
AU - Farrell, Terence M.
AU - Glorioso, Brad M.
AU - Last, Lisa A.
AU - Price, Steven J.
AU - Schuler, Krysten L.
AU - Smith, Christopher E.
AU - Wellehan, James F.X.
AU - Blehert, David S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.
PY - 2016/12/5
Y1 - 2016/12/5
N2 - Since 2006, there has been a marked increase in the number of reports of severe and often fatal fungal skin infections in wild snakes in the eastern USA. The emerging condition, referred to as snake fungal disease (SFD), was initially documented in rattlesnakes, where the infections were believed to pose a risk to the viability of affected populations. The disease is caused by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, a fungus recently split from a complex of fungi long referred to as the Chrysosporium anamorph of Nannizziopsis vriesii (CANV). Here we review the current state of knowledge about O. ophiodiicola and SFD. In addition, we provide original findings which demonstrate that O. ophiodiicola is widely distributed in eastern North America, has a broad host range, is the predominant cause of fungal skin infections in wild snakes and often causes mild infections in snakes emerging from hibernation. This new information, together with what is already available in the scientific literature, advances our knowledge of the cause, pathogenesis and ecology of SFD. However, additional research is necessary to elucidate the factors driving the emergence of this disease and develop strategies to mitigate its impacts.
AB - Since 2006, there has been a marked increase in the number of reports of severe and often fatal fungal skin infections in wild snakes in the eastern USA. The emerging condition, referred to as snake fungal disease (SFD), was initially documented in rattlesnakes, where the infections were believed to pose a risk to the viability of affected populations. The disease is caused by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, a fungus recently split from a complex of fungi long referred to as the Chrysosporium anamorph of Nannizziopsis vriesii (CANV). Here we review the current state of knowledge about O. ophiodiicola and SFD. In addition, we provide original findings which demonstrate that O. ophiodiicola is widely distributed in eastern North America, has a broad host range, is the predominant cause of fungal skin infections in wild snakes and often causes mild infections in snakes emerging from hibernation. This new information, together with what is already available in the scientific literature, advances our knowledge of the cause, pathogenesis and ecology of SFD. However, additional research is necessary to elucidate the factors driving the emergence of this disease and develop strategies to mitigate its impacts.
KW - Dermatitis
KW - Emerging disease
KW - Fungal infection
KW - North America
KW - Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola
KW - Snake
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U2 - 10.1098/rstb.2015.0457
DO - 10.1098/rstb.2015.0457
M3 - Review article
C2 - 28080983
AN - SCOPUS:84992467124
SN - 0962-8436
VL - 371
JO - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
IS - 1709
M1 - 20150457
ER -