![]() ophiodiicola was first isolated from captive snakes with skin lesions in the United Kingdom and the United States in the mid-1980s 11. Experimental infection studies have determined that the causative agent is the keratinophilic fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola 6, 7, and the disease has been documented in more than 30 species of wild snakes in the United States and Europe 8, 9, 10. Ophidiomycosis (also known as snake fungal disease SFD) is an infectious disease of wild and captive snakes that threatens snake health worldwide 5. In combination with factors such as habitat destruction and climate change, these fungal diseases pose extremely significant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem health. Similarly, white nose syndrome in bats, caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has emerged in the United States since 2006, spreading to 19 US states and killing over 5 million insectivorous bats 4. Chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd), has been implicated as the cause of severe population declines in frogs worldwide 2, and the related pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans has led to local extinctions of newts and salamanders in Europe 3. These results provide important information about ophidiomycosis epidemiology, which has implications for snake conservation.įungal diseases have become increasingly prevalent in wildlife species over the past two decades 1. couperi had the highest prevalence of apparent ophidiomycosis this category was more prevalent in the subfamily Colubrinae and less prevalent in Natricinae. Phylogeny-based bipartite network analysis showed that Nerodia erythrogaster, Nerodia taxispilota, and D. Multinomial logistic regression modeling indicated that Drymarchon couperi had a higher relative risk of apparent ophidiomycosis (lesions present and qPCR positive), and the best models predicting qPCR result and ophidiomycosis category included individual factors and excluded temporal and spatial factors. ophiodiicola in five of the 22 species that were qPCR positive. ophiodiicola DNA, and 77.8% of the qPCR positive individuals had skin lesions. Sampled snakes represented 34 species and 4 families 27.5% had skin lesions, 13.3% were positive for O. To evaluate disease distribution and prevalence in this state, 786 free-ranging snakes were examined for skin lesions consistent with ophidiomycosis and swabbed to detect O. It has been documented throughout the eastern United States and severe cases have recently been reported in Georgia, USA. Ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease) is caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola and threatens snake health worldwide.
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