August 14, 2018-Source:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
In the first study of its kind,
researchers characterized the skin microbiome of a population of free-ranging
snakes to begin to understand how the animals' environmental microbial
community may promote disease resistance as well as how it may be disrupted by
infection.
The study, which was recently
published in Scientific Reports, a Nature research journal, focused on eastern
massasaugas in Illinois. This species of endangered rattlesnake is highly
susceptible to the fungal pathogen Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, which causes
snake fungal disease (SFD). SFD results in disfiguring sores on snake skin, has
a high mortality rate, and poses a significant threat to snake populations in
North America and Europe. The mechanism by which the pathogen causes disease is
unknown.
"Globally, fungal pathogens
are increasingly associated with wildlife epidemics, such as white-nose
syndrome in bats and chytridiomycosis in amphibians," said Dr. Matt
Allender, a faculty member at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary
Medicine and an affiliate of the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), part
of the university's Prairie Research Institute. "Snake fungal disease has
been identified in a number of snake species, but very little is known about
contributing factors for infection."
Dr. Allender, who heads the
Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, has been investigating SFD for more than 8
years. In 2014 he introduced a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)
test to quickly identify the fungus from a swabbed sample.
"In a 20-year collaborative
study led by INHS researchers, we have been the primary investigator of
numerous studies documenting disease trends in the eastern massasauga including
overall health, but none of these health parameters seemed to explain the emergence
of SFD. This study was undertaken in light of recent promising findings about
the importance of environmental microbial communities in animal and human
health.”
Based on their analysis of 144
skin swabs collected from 44 snakes in 2015 and 52 snakes in 2016, all near
Carlyle Lake, Ill., researchers determined that infection with SFD altered the
bacterial and fungal diversity of the snakes studied. On the infected snakes,
Ophidiomyces was present even at locations on the snakes' bodies distant to the
open sores, indicating that the skin's entire microbiome is altered by the
infection.
No Ophidiomyces spores were
detected on SFD-negative snakes, as would have been expected had those snakes'
microbiome proven protective against the pathogen.
Findings related to the specific
bacteria and fungi found in greater or lesser abundance depending on the
disease status of the snake are detailed in the study.
The researchers believe their
findings will have broad relevance to other snake species and habitats and will
provide insight into mechanisms of pathogen emergence, fluctuations in wellness
of individuals, and development of therapeutic interventions.
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Matthew C. Allender, Sarah Baker,
Megan Britton, Angela D. Kent. Snake fungal disease alters skin bacterial and
fungal diversity in an endangered rattlesnake. Scientific Reports, 2018; 8 (1)
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30709-x
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