An eDNA toolkit for the surveillance of wildlife pathogens in traded and wild amphibians

新发传染病（EID）是全球两栖动物物种的主要威胁，并导致广泛的人口下降和灭绝。下降归因于两种类型的传染病：蛙病毒病（由蛙病毒属病毒引起）和壶菌病（由壶菌属真菌Batrachochytrium dendrobavorans和Batrachochytrium salamavorans感染引起）。这些病原体在全球两栖动物贸易中广泛存在。在这种情况下，缺乏有效的病原体监测有助于随后病原体入侵野生种群的灾难性风险。早期发现EID所使用的诊断工具对于制定有效战略以减轻疾病传播至关重要。促进在贸易和野生亚临床人群中检测病原体的工具对于患病人群的早期管理至关重要。学生将开发和演示使用诊断eDNA工具包在贸易和野生种群中监测Bd和Ranavirus。使用eDNA方法，拟议的工作将：1）经验性地评估影响病原体eDNA检测的因素; 2）调查病原体在英国交易的两栖动物中的流行情况; 3）调查野生两栖动物病原体的潜在环境和宿主水库。

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) represent a major threat to amphibian species globally and have caused extensive population declines and extinctions. Declines have been attributed to two types of infectious disease: ranavirosis (caused by viruses in the genus Ranavirus) and chytridiomycosis (caused by infection with chytrid fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans). These pathogens are widespread in the global amphibian trade. The absence of effective pathogen surveillance in this setting contributes to a catastrophic risk of subsequent pathogen incursion into wild populations. Diagnostic tools used in the early detection of EIDs are essential in developing effective strategies to mitigate disease spread. Tools facilitating the detection of pathogens in traded and wild subclinical populations are vital in the early management of diseased populations. The student will develop and demonstrate use of a diagnostic eDNA toolkit for the surveillance of Bd and Ranavirus in traded and wild populations. Using eDNA methods, the proposed work will: 1) empirically assess the factors affecting the detection of pathogen eDNA; 2) investigate the prevalence of pathogens in traded amphibians in the UK; 3) investigate the potential environmental and host reservoirs of amphibian pathogens in the wild.