By Helen
BriggsBBC News
29 March
2019
A fungus
that kills amphibians is responsible for the biggest documented loss of nature
from a single disease, say researchers.
Better
biosecurity and wildlife trade restrictions are urgently needed to prevent any
more extinctions, they say.
The disease,
chytridiomycosis, has caused mass die-offs in frogs, toads and salamanders over
the past 50 years, including extinctions of 90 species, according to a review
of evidence.
It has
spread to over 60 countries.
Australia,
Central America and South America are particularly hard hit.
"Highly
virulent wildlife disease, including chytridiomycosis, is contributing to the
Earth's sixth mass extinction," said Dr Ben Scheele of The Australian
National University in Canberra.
"We've
lost some really amazing species."
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