Frog fungus clue

Trade in amphibians as pets and food may have led to killer virus

source: New Scientist vol 212, no 2838, November 12 2011 P5

Trade in amphibians as pets and food may have led to the creation of a killer fungus, affecting amphibians in much of the world. The chytrid fungus is virulent, and affected frogs have a high death rate. A team led by Rhys Farrer from Imperial College, London, collected fungus samples from five continents. Sixteen of twenty samples were genetically identical. They were of the Bd GPL strain, formed from the union of two different fungus strains. This union was probably made possible by global trade in amphibians for food and pets. Quarantine could protect a country's amphibians. South east Asia and Madagascar both have rich amphibian diversity, and are free from Bd GPL. These areas need protection.
AM,HD