What is the name of the fungal disease devastating amphibian populations?

The fungal disease devastating amphibian populations is chytridiomycosis.

It is caused mainly by the chytrid fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd, and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. These pathogens attack keratin-containing skin, disrupting an amphibian’s ability to regulate water and salts through its skin. Severe infections can lead to cardiac failure.

The disease was recognized during major frog die-offs in Australia in the 1990s, although infected specimens date back much further. It has since been detected across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Its impact varies: some species die rapidly, while others carry the fungus with limited symptoms.

A common mix-up is confusing chytridiomycosis with “chytrid fungus.” The fungus is the cause; chytridiomycosis is the disease. The condition also affects salamanders, not only frogs, and researchers continue to study treatments, resistant populations, and biosecurity measures.