Outbreaks and the Emergence of Novel Fungal Infections: Lessons from the Panzootic of Amphibian Chytridiomycosis

Chytridiomycosis is a cutaneous infection of amphibians caused by the chytridiomycete fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Despite being in a phylum not known for pathogenicity in vertebrates, Bd is now recognized as a primary driver of amphibian declines. Data show that this novel pathogen emerged in the 20th century to colonize amphibians worldwide. Such rapid emergence of a previously unrecognized pathogen illustrates many aspects of emerging fungal infections that threaten human health, namely long-distance human-mediated dispersal, multihost reservoirs, and altered virulence. In order to combat Bd, new tools have been developed to track its global spread and to analyze in parallel whole-genome diversity. This article details how such tools have applications to tracking and managing human fungal infections.