Frank Pasmans

Intrigued by amphibians and reptiles since childhood, Frank Pasmans is professor in veterinary bacteriology and mycology and in reptile and amphibian diseases at the faculty of veterinary medicine of Ghent University. Together with An Martel, he is in charge of the research group Wildlife Health Ghent, focusing on infections that affect wildlife population health and with emphasis on diseases that threaten amphibians. Global amphibian declines are emblematic for the current sixth mass extinction yet measures to curb disease driven loss of amphibian diversity are lacking. A thorough understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underpinning infection and disease dynamics is used to design and implement disease mitigation.

The emergence of the fungal disease chytridiomycosis has caused unprecedented declines of amphibians, leaving entire ecoregions almost devoid of amphibian life. Of the two known “batrachochytrids”, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) has only recently been vectored from Asia into Europe, most likely through the pet trade. Bsal is causing population crashes in wild salamanders and newts and increasingly threatens a significant proportion of Europe’s salamander diversity. Lethal infections in infected salamanders are the consequence of an evolutionary arms race that leaves the naïve host defenceless against the fungus’ virulence mechanisms. Untampered fungal proliferation disturbs the host skin physiology and defences, leading to electrolyte imbalances, dysbiosis with bacterial septicaemia and finally death. Infected salamanders fail to mount any protective immunological response. Bsal infection results in a permanently contaminated environment in reservoir hosts, as resistant, encysted spores, and potentially as a saprobe, providing no opportunities for population recovery even after 15 years. Bsal emergence is a prime example of the threat of the global live animal trade to biodiversity, stressing the need for the implementation of strict biosecurity measures.