Origins of amphibian-killing fungus uncovered
A deadly fungus that has ravaged amphibian populations worldwide probably originated in East Asia, new research suggests. A study in Science journal [open, DOI: 10.1126/science.aar1965] [DX] supports an idea that the pet trade helped spread killer strains of the chytrid fungus around the globe.
The fungus is a major cause of the devastating declines experienced by frogs, toads, newts and salamanders. There is no known effective measure for controlling the disease.
The authors of the report highlight the need to tighten biosecurity along country borders, including a potential ban on the trade in amphibians as pets.
The chytrid fungus, known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd, was first identified as a problem in the 1990s, said co-author Dr Simon O'Hanlon, from Imperial College London.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 13 2018, @03:58PM (1 child)
It was a great day. No, it was an excellent day, but not merely because of the weather. You see, it was a very, very special day indeed; it was the first of its kind, in fact. To be more precise, it was a newly-declared holiday. One need only look around to determine what sort of holiday it was.
There were many delightful events taking place. The echoes of women screaming and children crying could be heard everywhere one went. There were children being strangled and ruthlessly violated at the same time. There were women being beaten and raped in the streets. There were even women's and children's corpses being used as party decorations. Sights such as these could be seen all throughout the world with much greater frequency than usual, and it was glorious. So glorious was it that every man was taking part in the festivities, with a holiday spirit that warmed the heart and soul.
One might conclude that this was a holiday to celebrate men's rights, and they would be correct. Yes, it was the greatest holiday: Men's Rights Day. It was a day where men could frolic and play, free from bigots and naysayers. It was a day where men could exercise their fundamental liberties without worry of being oppressed. It was a day where the agonized screams of women and children served as music. It was a day where mankind thrived.
And, indeed, mankind did thrive on the very first Men's Rights Day. Thus, from that point on, every day was Men's Rights Day.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 13 2018, @04:50PM
At which point it became "Everything But Humans' Rights Day" after they all died off, unable to procreate.
But hey, finally something good happened for the rest of the world, so go forth and spread Men's Rights Day, and let the purging of humanity commence!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Mykl on Monday May 14 2018, @12:33AM
We've been hearing for years that the frog population is a good overall health indicator of their environment. The discovery of this fungus sounds like it could have turned the environmental health theory on its head. I wonder whether this will result in re-assessments of certain environments where frog populations have plummeted? Perhaps these areas are actually a lot healthier than we had previously thought?
It will be interesting to see whether this is an 'inconvenient truth' that could get in the way of environmental preservation efforts. Has the decline of a frog population ever resulted in the shutdown of industry (e.g. logging)?