Chytrid fungi and global amphibian declines

Discovering that chytrid fungi cause chytridiomycosis in amphibians represented a paradigm shift in our understanding of how emerging infectious diseases contribute to global patterns of biodiversity loss. In this Review we describe how the use of multidisciplinary biological approaches has been essential to pinpointing the origins of amphibian-parasitizing chytrid fungi, including Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, as well as to timing their emergence, tracking their cycles of expansion and identifying the core mechanisms that underpin their pathogenicity. We discuss the development of the experimental methods and bioinformatics toolkits that have provided a fuller understanding of batrachochytrid biology and informed policy and control measures. Worldwide amphibian declines caused by pathogenic chytrid fungi are emblematic of the emerging infectious diseases driven by globalization. Fisher and Garner discuss how these wildlife pathogens emerge to drive global declines in amphibian biodiversity and the implications of current research for policy and control measures.