High pathogen prevalence in an amphibian and reptile assemblage at a site with risk factors for dispersal in Galicia, Spain

PLoS One. 2020 Jul 30;15(7):e0236803. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236803. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Ranaviruses are agents of disease, mortality and population declines in ectothermic vertebrates and emergences have been repeatedly linked to human activities. Ranaviruses in the common midwife toad ranavirus lineage are emerging in Europe. They are known to be severe multi-host pathogens of amphibians and can also cause disease in reptiles. Recurrent outbreaks of ranavirus disease and mortality affecting three species have occurred at a small reservoir in north-west Spain but no data were available on occurrence of the pathogen in the other amphibian and reptile species present or at adjacent sites. We sampled nine species of amphibians and reptiles at the reservoir and nearby sites and screened for ranavirus presence using molecular methods. Our results show infection with ranavirus in all nine species, including first reports for Hyla molleri, Pelophylax perezi, Rana iberica, and Podarcis bocagei. We detected ranavirus in all four local sites and confirmed mass mortality incidents involving Lissotriton boscai and Triturus marmoratus were ongoing. The reservoir regularly hosts water sports tournaments and the risks of ranavirus dispersal through the translocation of contaminated equipment are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amphibians / virology*
  • Animals
  • DNA Virus Infections / epidemiology*
  • DNA Virus Infections / virology
  • Prevalence
  • Ranavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Reptiles / virology*
  • Risk Factors
  • Spain / epidemiology

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Imperial College London M.Sc. Conservation Science Project Bursary 2016, ENEDAS e.V. through the Johann Christian Wiegleb Stipendium für Feldforschung, and NERC grants NE/M000338/1, NE/M000591/1, and NE/M00080X/1. JB was supported by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness grant CGL2015-70070-R. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).