Deadly Chytrid Fungus decimates frog populations globally

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Flickr; Vlastimil Koutecký

A recent study published in Science shows 90 species of amphibians have gone extinct while 500 or more populations have been wiped out worldwide due to the infectious Chytrid Fungus.

Discovered in the 1990s, the fungus eats away at the skin of frogs while they are still alive and eventually kills them.

It is nearly impossible to detect whether a frog is infected without the use of scientific equipment and therefore it’s hard to keep track of infections.

This could spell ecological disaster for many ecosystems as many frogs provide food for animals within the food chain.

Potential treatments for the Chytrid Fungus still elude researchers.

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Friday, March 29 2019
Produced By Isobelle Starr
Featured in storyDr Benjamin Scheele - Australian National University and co-author of Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity published in Science Professor Michael Mahony- University of Newcastle, School of Environmental and Life Sciences
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