'Frog Saunas' Are Potential Solution in Battling the Deadly Chytrid Fungus Threatening Endangered Wildlife [Research]

Chytrid fungus is a pathogen that has been quietly wreaking havoc on frog populations globally since the fungi's initial discovery during the early 20^th century.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the first confirmed case of chytridiomycosis (a disease caused by the chytrid fungus) was detected in a Xenopus laevis frog in 1938. Since then, the fungal disease has become a pandemic for amphibians.

For almost a century, scientists have attempted to fully stop the deadly fungus. Recently, a novel invention in the form of "frog saunas" has been circulating across the internet. This frog-version of saunas came to light after a study, led by researchers in Australia, revealed that this hotspot shelter can increase the resistance of frogs against chytridiomycosis. The disease has already caused dozens of amphibian species extinctions.

A frog sauna can be a potential solution against the chytrid fungus amphibian apocalypse, which threatens endangered wildlife, according to a new study. This means if the spread of the pathogen continues, the death of frogs can alter their respective local ecosystems. For instance, predators that rely on frogs as their main food source could experience hunger and even death when there are mass frog deaths.

Chytrid Fungus Amphibian Apocalypse

In recent years, biologists around the world have confirmed that frogs and toads are certainly disappearing due to the chytrid fungus amphibian apocalypse, according to Australian National University researchers Benjamin Scheele and Claire Foster. This trend has been observed among the gastric-brooding frog population in Australia since 1979 and the golden toad population in Costa Rica since 1987.

The same case in Ecuador also happened when the South American nation's stubfoot toad was last seen in 1988. Fast forward to 2024, the preceding decades saw the continuance of the frog fungi pandemic. In their 2019 research paper published in the journal Science, Scheele and Foster along with their colleagues reported the decline of at least 501 amphibian species, including 90 species extinctions, due to the chytrid fungus.

Frog Saunas Could be the Solution

While there is seemingly no hope of stopping the spread of chytridiomycosis among amphibians, scientists may have found the answer; thanks to frog saunas. In the paper published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, June 26, researchers from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, said these frog shelters can warm their bodies, potentially eliminating the infectious chytrid fungi.

As mentioned earlier, the death of frogs means it has significant ecological impacts. According to the lead author of the study, Anthony Waddle, frogs help in mitigating or preventing the spread of human disease by eating the insects that carry them.

While the exact timeline for the spread of chytridiomycosis remains unclear, available evidence shows that the amphibian chytrid fungus originated in Africa, where the pathogen was a stable endemic in the continent for 23 years, according to the CDC.