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ASPECTS OF HERPETOFAUNAL DISEASES AT TWO NATURAL AREAS IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA Lauren D. Fuchs, ... more ASPECTS OF HERPETOFAUNAL DISEASES AT TWO NATURAL AREAS IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA Lauren D. Fuchs, M.S. George Mason University, 2019 Thesis chair: Dr. Larry Rockwood Over the past several decades, amphibians and reptiles have been notably impacted by emerging infectious pathogens. Anuran populations have experienced significant morbidity and mortality events as the result of two pathogens in particular: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidus (Bd), and Frog-Virus 3 (FV-3). Reptiles have also been threatened by infectious pathogens, namely, Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), which has been attributed to the declines of several snake populations. Here, I present the results of investigations on presence, prevalence and co-occurrence of Bd and FV-3 in anurans, and the occurrence of Oo in snakes in Maryland (at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; SERC) and Virginia (at Huntley Meadows Park; HMP). Results from these investigations indicated that Bd is present in both Maryland (10.3%) and Vi...
Since the early 2000s, ophidiomycosis has been reported with increasing frequency and associated ... more Since the early 2000s, ophidiomycosis has been reported with increasing frequency and associated with widespread morbidity in numerous North American snake species. Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo), the etiologic agent of ophidiomycosis, has been detected in over 30 species throughout most of the eastern United States, as well as in Europe and Australia; however, it is suspected that the distribution of this pathogen may be underestimated due to a lack of standardized inventories. To contribute to the existing but limited data on ophidiomycosis in the mid-Atlantic United States, snakes were sampled for Oo at two natural areas in this region-one in Anne Arundel County, Maryland and one in Fairfax County, Virginia. Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola was detected at both study sites. Thirty-four of 61 (55.7%) samples across eight species tested positive for the pathogen, with the highest detection rates occurring in Nerodia sipedon (73.1%) and Pantherophis alleghaniensis (70%). Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola was detected in snakes with (71.4%) and without (34.6%) clinical signs of ophidiomycosis. These results support the need for both increased Oo monitoring throughout the region, and implementation of more standardized and unbiased sampling protocols.
ASPECTS OF HERPETOFAUNAL DISEASES AT TWO NATURAL AREAS IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA Lauren D. Fuchs, ... more ASPECTS OF HERPETOFAUNAL DISEASES AT TWO NATURAL AREAS IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA Lauren D. Fuchs, M.S. George Mason University, 2019 Thesis chair: Dr. Larry Rockwood Over the past several decades, amphibians and reptiles have been notably impacted by emerging infectious pathogens. Anuran populations have experienced significant morbidity and mortality events as the result of two pathogens in particular: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidus (Bd), and Frog-Virus 3 (FV-3). Reptiles have also been threatened by infectious pathogens, namely, Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), which has been attributed to the declines of several snake populations. Here, I present the results of investigations on presence, prevalence and co-occurrence of Bd and FV-3 in anurans, and the occurrence of Oo in snakes in Maryland (at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; SERC) and Virginia (at Huntley Meadows Park; HMP). Results from these investigations indicated that Bd is present in both Maryland (10.3%) and Vi...
Since the early 2000s, ophidiomycosis has been reported with increasing frequency and associated ... more Since the early 2000s, ophidiomycosis has been reported with increasing frequency and associated with widespread morbidity in numerous North American snake species. Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo), the etiologic agent of ophidiomycosis, has been detected in over 30 species throughout most of the eastern United States, as well as in Europe and Australia; however, it is suspected that the distribution of this pathogen may be underestimated due to a lack of standardized inventories. To contribute to the existing but limited data on ophidiomycosis in the mid-Atlantic United States, snakes were sampled for Oo at two natural areas in this region-one in Anne Arundel County, Maryland and one in Fairfax County, Virginia. Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola was detected at both study sites. Thirty-four of 61 (55.7%) samples across eight species tested positive for the pathogen, with the highest detection rates occurring in Nerodia sipedon (73.1%) and Pantherophis alleghaniensis (70%). Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola was detected in snakes with (71.4%) and without (34.6%) clinical signs of ophidiomycosis. These results support the need for both increased Oo monitoring throughout the region, and implementation of more standardized and unbiased sampling protocols.