Eastern water dragons (Physignathus lesueurii) are not important alternate hosts of the frog chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Abstract

The chytridiomycete fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, causative pathogen of the disease amphibian chytridiomycosis, sometimes occurs on environmental substrates and can grow in vitro on reptile skin. This suggests that susceptible reptiles associated with water bodies may act as both reservoirs of infection and vectors for spread of the disease. We sampled the semi-aquatic Eastern Water Dragon, Physignathus lesueurii, associated with streams and known infected frog populations for B. dendrobatidis. None of the 15 juvenile dragons returned positive results for the pathogen by qPCR assay. This suggests P. lesueurii are not important alternate hosts for B. dendrobatidis and do not act as important reservoirs or vectors of B. dendrobatidis.