Frog information from Wildlife Health Australia
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Frog Mortality Notification
Seeking help for disease investigations
Summary
Over the last few weeks there have been a flurry of reports of sick and dead frogs across eastern Victoria, NSW and Queensland. While the first cold snap of each year can be accompanied by a few localised frog mortalities, this outbreak has impacted more animals over a greater range than previously encountered. The Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, the Australian Museum, Wildlife Health Australia and state government environment and biosecurity agencies are working together to investigate the event and determine the likely cause.
Currently a combination of the amphibian chytrid fungus and the chilly temperatures are suspected to be the cause, however we simply don’t know the full story and what other factors may be involved (see background below). We also aren’t sure how widespread this frog mortality event is, what impact it will have on our frog populations, or how long it will last. While the temperatures stay low, we suspect that frogs will continue succumbing. If we don’t investigate quickly, we will lose the opportunity to achieve a diagnosis and understand why. See The Conversation Article for further background (29 July 2021).
We are seeking your help as frontline wildlife health professionals.
LOOK
The following signs in any frog species have been seen so far:
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-
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REPORT
Reports of sick or recently deceased frogs are the priority. If you are able to, please provide any information on dead frogs to help us to better understand the how widespread and the level of impact on frog populations.
PRIORITY - Sick frogs or frogs that have died within 24hrs
BIOSECURITY
Always protect yourself and other animals in your care. Frogs can carry diseases which in some cases may be transmissible to other frogs, other wildlife and people. Therefore best practice biosecurity measures are recommended, and includes:
If the frog is sick and unlikely to survive, it should be euthanased by a licensed veterinarian using methods listed as acceptable in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (PDF 11.8MB; AVMA 2020; as per NSW 2020).
Note: Information regarding triage, euthanasia and sample collection has been provided to veterinarians.
Please remember, if you see any other unusual signs of disease or mass deaths in wildlife you can report it to:
-https://www.arwh.org/amphibian-disease-knowledgebase/
-https://www.wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/FactSheets.aspx
-https://www.agriculture.gov.au/animal/aquatic/guidelines-and-resources/aquatic_animal_diseases_significant_to_australia_identification_field_guide
Seeking help for disease investigations
Summary
Over the last few weeks there have been a flurry of reports of sick and dead frogs across eastern Victoria, NSW and Queensland. While the first cold snap of each year can be accompanied by a few localised frog mortalities, this outbreak has impacted more animals over a greater range than previously encountered. The Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, the Australian Museum, Wildlife Health Australia and state government environment and biosecurity agencies are working together to investigate the event and determine the likely cause.
Currently a combination of the amphibian chytrid fungus and the chilly temperatures are suspected to be the cause, however we simply don’t know the full story and what other factors may be involved (see background below). We also aren’t sure how widespread this frog mortality event is, what impact it will have on our frog populations, or how long it will last. While the temperatures stay low, we suspect that frogs will continue succumbing. If we don’t investigate quickly, we will lose the opportunity to achieve a diagnosis and understand why. See The Conversation Article for further background (29 July 2021).
We are seeking your help as frontline wildlife health professionals.
LOOK
The following signs in any frog species have been seen so far:
-
-
-
-
REPORT
Reports of sick or recently deceased frogs are the priority. If you are able to, please provide any information on dead frogs to help us to better understand the how widespread and the level of impact on frog populations.
PRIORITY - Sick frogs or frogs that have died within 24hrs
- Please contact the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health as soon as possible, so that they can try to organise transport and examination. Please contact Karrie Rose at: 0402 553 537.
- Sick frogs from the Sydney area can be brought to Taronga Wildlife Hospital between 8am and 3pm daily for a Contact free submission.
BIOSECURITY
Always protect yourself and other animals in your care. Frogs can carry diseases which in some cases may be transmissible to other frogs, other wildlife and people. Therefore best practice biosecurity measures are recommended, and includes:
- Wearing a new pair of disposable Nitrile or latex, powder free gloves for handling each frog.
- Use a clean plastic bag / cleanable container for transporting each frog (for live frogs, ensure the bag is not airtight).
- Isolate and quarantine all new frogs being brought into care. Keep each frog, tank and cleaning/feeding utensils separate. Frogs originating from the same location may be housed together as one isolation group.
- Whenever possible, do not house sick frogs if you also care for other frogs.
- After a thorough cleaning, disinfect tanks and cleaning instruments with F10 or bleach solution (1 part bleach:9 parts water) with 10-15 minutes contact time.
- Used tank water can be disinfected with 1 part bleach:9 parts tank water. The treated water can then be disposed of in small volumes down the toilet, where it will be further treated.
If the frog is sick and unlikely to survive, it should be euthanased by a licensed veterinarian using methods listed as acceptable in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (PDF 11.8MB; AVMA 2020; as per NSW 2020).
Note: Information regarding triage, euthanasia and sample collection has been provided to veterinarians.
Please remember, if you see any other unusual signs of disease or mass deaths in wildlife you can report it to:
- Your local State/Territory WHA Coordinator https://wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/AboutUs/ContactDetails.aspx
- The 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on free call 1800 675 888
- The Department of Primary Industries or Agriculture in the State/Territory in which the event has occurred
- Or, if you are a wildlife rehabilitator: your local veterinarian.
-https://www.arwh.org/amphibian-disease-knowledgebase/
-https://www.wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/FactSheets.aspx
-https://www.agriculture.gov.au/animal/aquatic/guidelines-and-resources/aquatic_animal_diseases_significant_to_australia_identification_field_guide