A zoospore inhibition technique to evaluate the activity of antifungal compounds against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and unsuccessful treatment of experimentally infected green tree frogs (Litoria caerulea) by fluconazole and benzalkonium chloride
Abstract
Effective and safe treatments of chytridiomycosis in amphibians, caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, are needed to help prevent mortality in captive programs for threatened species, to reduce the risk of spread, and to better manage the disease in threatened populations. We describe a simple method to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antifungal agents that involves adding zoospores to various drug concentrations in 96 well plates and microscopic observation after four days. We report results from testing 10 commercially available antifungal compounds: benzalkonium chloride (<0.78 microg/ml), povidone iodine (312.5 microg/ml), amphotericin B (3.125 microg/ml), fluconazole (<1.56 microg/ml), itraconazole (<1.56 microg/ml), enilconazole (<1.56 microg/ml), mercurochrome (6.25 microg/ml), sodium chloride (12.5mg/ml), methylene blue (<1.56 microg/ml) and Virkon (3.125 microg/ml). For treatment trials of juvenile Litoria caerulea, baths of benzalkonium chloride at 1mg/L and fluconazole at 25mg/L were used on 18 experimentally infected frogs per treatment. Although these treatments resulted in longer survival times (mean 43.7+/-11.3 days) than in the untreated controls (37.9+/-9.3 days), the mortality rate wa...Continue Reading
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Ancestral chytrid pathogen remains hypervirulent following its long coevolution with amphibian hosts
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An antifungal, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, and others. Discover the latest research on antifungals here.