<u>ASAHI SHIMBUN</u> (Tokyo, Japan) 13 January 07
Deadly amphibian disease found in pet frogs in Tokyo; first case in Asia
Chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease that has devastated frog and other amphibian populations overseas, was confirmed in imported pets in Tokyo, the first reported case in Asia, experts said Thursday.
The disease will not affect humans. But there is no effective measure to eradicate chytridiomycosis once it spreads in the natural environment, the experts said. Once in the wild, it can ravage ecosystems.
Biological experts are scheduled to issue an emergency joint statement Saturday calling for stronger quarantine procedures, tougher monitoring of sales and distribution channels and other countermeasures.
Chytridiomycosis was found in frogs imported from Central and South America that were kept as pets in Tokyo, according to the experts.
Of the 35 pet frogs of 11 species, 14 died in November and December last year.
Examinations conducted by Azabu University researchers confirmed on Dec. 25 that the frogs died of
chytridiomycosis, probably after being infected by another frog or frogs bought in late October.
At least one frog from Latin America at a pet shop in the Kanto region tested positive for the disease earlier this month.
The course of action now is to ensure chytridiomycosis does not spread outdoors.
The emergency statement will be issued by 16 organizations, including the Japanese Society of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, the Herpetological Society of Japan, and the World Wide Fund for Nature Japan.
The statement will call on frog keepers not to release water that kept dead frogs into the outdoor environment. It will also call on frog importers and sellers to ensure their frogs are not infected.
"If you find an abnormality, no matter how small it may be, I'd like you to consult with a veterinarian," Yumi Une, an assistant professor of Azabu University's School of Veterinary Medicine, said. "There are steps for antisepsis and treatment, and the disease will not be transmitted to humans. Whatever you do, please do not release (infected frogs) outdoors."
Chytridiomycosis was confirmed in 1998 as the disease that caused a drastic decline in Australia's frog population in the 1990s.
The disease stems from the chytrid fungus (
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and causes sporadic deaths in some amphibian populations and has a 100 percent mortality rate for others, according to Australia's Department of the Environment and Heritage.
Since the Australian case, the disease has been found in areas of the United States, Central and South America, Africa and Europe.
In Panama, for example, 48 amphibian species were infected, and their numbers plunged by about 90 percent.
Researchers later found that chytridiomycosis had spread from west to east at an annual rate of about 28 kilometers after the disease first infiltrated Panama in 1995.
With wild frogs wiped out in some areas in just two months, a project to protect more than 20 frog species at zoos and other facilities was initiated in Panama.
One huge problem in eradicating the disease is that chytrid fungus can survive in water for several weeks.
Experts warn that the fungus can easily proliferate in Japan because of the country's many mountain streams.
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200701130161.html
<u>NEW YORK TIMES</u> (New York) 12 January 07
Japan Finds First Frog Fungal Infections
Tokyo (AP): At least five frogs have died in Japan's first confirmed cases of a fungal infection linked to sharp reductions in amphibians in other parts of the world, an expert said Friday.
The discovery prompted animal and research groups in Japan to jointly declare an emergency, urging frog owners to contact veterinarians immediately for any abnormalities.
Yumi Une, assistant professor of Azabu University in Kanagawa, just west of Tokyo, said at least five frogs tested positive for the chytrid fungus recently.
Two of the five were kept as pets by a couple in Tokyo and tested positive for the fungus in late December while the infection of three other frogs in a pet shop near Tokyo was confirmed earlier this month, according to Une.
The chytrid fungus kills frogs by growing on their skin, making it hard for them to use their pores and regulate water intake. The frogs die of dehydration in the water. The parasitic skin fungus has a more than 90 percent likelihood of killing an amphibian, but is harmless to other species including human beings.
It is believed to be a major cause of the dramatic reduction of the number of amphibians in many parts of the world.
It is the first time that the fungus has been confirmed in frogs in Japan, according to Une. In Asia, only Australia had confirmed cases of the fungus infection.
Une said there had been no reports of massive deaths of wild frogs, a situation more grave because of the difficulties to contain infection.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Japan-Frogs-Fungus.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Japanese Language item at:
http://www.wwf.or.jp/activity/wildlife/news/2007/20070112.htm
