Elizabethkingia miricola infection in multiple anuran species

Abstract

This report describes an outbreak of Elizabethkingia miricola in northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) and three other species of frogs and toads held in captivity in Germany. The authors examine several treatment options and underline the difficulties in treating larger numbers of individuals with antimicrobials applied through bathing. Whole genome sequencing of three bacterial isolates emphasizes their relatedness to other frog isolates and leads us to conclude that E. miricola is an emerging and difficult to treat pathogen with a broad host range across anuran species. Moreover, ambiguities in identification of flavobacteria associated with disease in frogs reported in the literature make it seem possible that E. miricola has been overlooked as an anuran pathogen in the past.

Keywords: Bombina microdeladigitora; Elizabethkingia miricola; Lithobates pipiens; Pipa parva; Theloderma bicolor; amphibian; anuran; bacterial infection; frog; leopard frog; toad.