Prevalence of Ranavirus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, B. salamandrivorans, and Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola in Amphibians and Reptiles of North Carolina, USA

The viral pathogen Ranavirus (Rv) and the fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), B. salamandrivorans (Bsal), and Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo) infect amphibians and reptiles. In recent years, there has been increased interest in reporting the occurrences of these pathogens. North Carolina, USA has a rich diversity of amphibians and reptiles, and is notably the most species-rich U.S. state in salamanders. We assessed prevalence of Rv, Bd, Bsal, and Oo in a broad taxonomic and geographic representation of amphibians and reptiles in North Carolina. Non-lethal skin swabs were taken using standardized methods from 718 amphibians and 254 reptiles, most of which were wild caught across North Carolina, with some captive individuals from living collections at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University Veterinary College. The presence and quantity of Rv, Bd, Bsal, or Oo DNA in the swabs was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction...