Chytridiomycosis, the most destructive disease to ever affect vertebrates, moves swiftly. As a doomsday disease affecting amphibians, it often begins when a microscopic zoospore propelled by a squiggly flagellum tail collides with the skin of a frog. From there, it penetrates the tissue and through a complex process widens the infection and produces new zoospores.
The disease tends to affect the keratin-producing skin in the frog’s groin and legs and throws off the amphibian’s normal regulation of water and electrolytes. Like humans, frogs use sodium and potassium to drive electrical processes, including those in the heart. Here's what we know about the disease.
As the disease tears across the frog’s skin, outward symptoms begin to appear. It may stop eating and behave oddly, reversing its normal nocturnal (or diurnal) cycle and holding its body in an off-kilter position. The skin may turn red or gray and begin to peel. A ...
