Date of Award

Spring 5-28-2025

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Biological Science (MBioSci)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Douglas Woodhams

Second Advisor

Robert Stevenson

Third Advisor

Juliet Girard

Abstract

Worldwide, amphibian populations have experienced dramatic declines due to a variety of threats. Among them, disease has been particularly deleterious and continues to impact populations. In the United States and Canada, the three leading causes of amphibian mass mortality events are ranavirosis, chytridiomycosis, and severe perkinsea infection, all caused by infectious pathogens. While research and policy have helped populations recover from these diseases, more work needs to be done to develop practical and efficient treatments for these infections. Of these three diseases, chytridiomycosis has had the most devastating effects on amphibian populations globally. Caused by the chytrid fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), chytridiomycosis inhibits proper transmission of electrolytes across the host’s skin and can ultimately lead to host death. Antifungal drugs, probiotics, and heat therapy treatments have shown promise in treating chytridiomycosis; however, each of these treatment options has negative side effects, are impractical in the field, or both. In my research, I explore the effects of pH and prebiotic treatments on Bd. I report that low pH environmental conditions and a prebiotic mixture of galactose and pyruvate provide an infected host protection against Bd, while a neutral environment and β-glucan prebiotic do not help amphibian hosts clear infection. These results add an additional tool to our arsenal of treatments for amphibians infected with Bd and push us closer to conserving imperiled species.

Comments

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