Tadpole disease ‘threatens world frog populations’

Researchers have found a newly identified parasitic disease in tadpoles – one that could threaten global frog populations. Richards says that infectious diseases are one of the main reasons why frogs have to suffer.

The disease apparently comes from a single-cell microbe known as a “protist” and also appeared in climates both hot and mild. The parasite has been identified in the livers of tadpoles from all over the world.

The new research is reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

According to the study’s lead author, there is a need for an answer as to how this infection can be lessened, stopped or prevented to successfully protect the rest of the amphibians worldwide from suffering the same fate and, thus, delivering an effective blow to our environment.

“We now want to determine if this novel microbe causes vital disease and might be contributing to the frog inhabitants declines”. Scientists at the University of Exeter recently tested tadpoles from six countries across three continents, and found the protists present in a variety of species. It is not going to endanger humans, but it is going to put the frog populations in peril.

The disease is suggested as distant relative of oyster parasites. The next step is to figure out if the disease may cause substantial damage to the frog populations.

“Global frog populations are suffering serious declines and infectious disease has been shown to be a significant factor”.

Scientists have determined that this infectious agent is a distant relative of the Perkinsea parasite that is mostly seen among marine animals and algae.

While there are many species around the world in threat of being part of a sixth “mass extinction event”, amphibians are considered the most threatened group of all. Some scientists argue the cause of the amphibian extinction is a gradual extinction process by earth itself.