Early presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Mexico with a contemporary dominance of the global panzootic lineage

In this study we investigated the historical and contemporary patterns of Bd in Mexico. We combined the swabbing of historical museum vouchers and sampling of wild amphibians with a custom Bd genotyping assay to assess the presence, prevalence, and genetic diversity of Bd over time in Mexico. We found a Bd-positive museum specimen from the late 1800s, far earlier than previous records and well before recent amphibian declines. We observed a contemporary dominance of the global panzootic lineage in Mexico and report four genetic subpopulations and potential for admixture among these populations. The observed genetic variation did not have a clear geographic signature or provide clear support for the epizootic wave hypothesis.