https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:3195 Alpine salamanders at risk? The current status of an emerging fungal pathogen Böning, Philipp Philipp Böning 0000-0002-4437-4712 Trier University Plewnia, Amadeus Amadeus Plewnia 0000-0001-8731-6312 Trier University Veith, Michael Michael Veith Trier University Thein, Jürgen Jürgen Thein Büro für Faunistik und Umweltbildung Haßfurt Tiemann, Laura Laura Tiemann Technical University of Munich Smith, Steve Steve Smith 0000-0002-1318-0018 University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Seibold, Sebastian Sebastian Seibold Technical University Dresden / Berchtesgaden National Park / Technical University of Munich Rödel, Mark-Oliver Mark-Oliver Rödel Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Preininger, Doris Doris Preininger Vienna Zoo Ludwig, Gerda Gerda Ludwig Amphibienwerkstatt Manenti, Raoul Raoul Manenti 0000-0001-6071-8194 University of Milan Munimanda, Gopikrishna Gopikrishna Munimanda University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Leroux, Camille Camille Leroux 0000-0002-4984-3485 Sorbonne Université / Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales Grabher, Markus Markus Grabher UMG Umweltbüro Grabher Griese, Josline Josline Griese Glaser, Florian Florian Glaser Technisches Büro für Biologie Absam Ficetola, Gentile Francesco Gentile Francesco Ficetola University of Milan Bonato, Lucio Lucio Bonato University of Padova / National Biodiversity Future Center Palermo Bok, Bobby Bobby Bok St. Michael College Bock, Marvin Marvin Bock Trier University Lötters, Stefan Stefan Lötters Trier University Barzaghi, Benedetta Benedetta Barzaghi University of Milan Public Library of Science text eng Amphibians globally suffer from emerging infectious diseases like chytridiomycosis caused by the continuously spreading chytrid fungi. One is Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) and its disease ? the 'salamander plague' ? which is lethal to several caudate taxa. Recently introduced into Western Europe, long distance dispersal of Bsal, likely through human mediation, has been reported. Herein we study if Alpine salamanders (Salamandra atra and S. lanzai) are yet affected by the salamander plague in the wild. Members of the genus Salamandra are highly susceptible to Bsal leading to the lethal disease. Moreover, ecological modelling has shown that the Alps and Dinarides, where Alpine salamanders occur, are generally suitable for Bsal. We analysed skin swabs of 818 individuals of Alpine salamanders and syntopic amphibians at 40 sites between 2017 to 2022. Further, we compiled those with published data from 319 individuals from 13 sites concluding that Bsal infections were not detected. Our results suggest that the salamander plague so far is absent from the geographic ranges of Alpine salamanders. That means that there is still a chance to timely implement surveillance strategies. Among others, we recommend prevention measures, citizen science approaches, and ex situ conservation breeding of endemic salamandrid lineages. Animals; Batrachochytriumgeneticspathogenicity; Mycosesveterinarymicrobiologyepidemiology; Urodelamicrobiology; Communicable Diseases, Emergingmicrobiologyepidemiologyveterinary; Salamandramicrobiology; Europeepidemiology; Chytridiomycota http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/api/object/o:3195/download 10.1371/journal.pone.0298591 https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:605 application/pdf PloS one 19(5) (2024) PloS one 19 5 1.57 MB 2024