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Published online 22 October 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.1031

News

Fatal frog fungal disease figured out

Electrolyte imbalance stops amphibians' hearts.

Emma Marris

A fungal infection that is killing amphibians around the world acts by disrupting the flow of electrolytes across their skin, ultimately causing heart failure. The discovery is helping to raise hopes that a treatment for the infection could one day be given to amphibians in the wild.

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  • I'm wondering what environmental enabler(s) is/are operable here in terms of this fungus. How do we explain the rapid, apparently unstoppable global progress of this lethal fungus?

    • 23 Oct, 2009
    • Posted by: David Engle

  • Bacteria growing on frog skin & giving protection against deadly fungus is Actinomycetes, gram +ve bacteria which produce bio_active antibiotic.Further research is required in this direction

    • 24 Oct, 2009
    • Posted by: Anurag Chaurasia