Oregon State University researchers are looking into zooplankton often referred to as Water Fleas (Daphnia magna) as a possible weapon against the devasting chytrid fungus affecting amphibians worldwide.

From International Business Times:

It was known that the zooplankton could devour some types of fungi. Oregon researchers wanted to find out whether Daphnia magna could also consume the chytrid fungus that's been devastating amphibian populations worldwide, including Colorado's endangered boreal toad. Through extensive research, scientists confirmed that Daphnia magna could consume the free swimming pores of the fungal pathogen.

"Our laboratory experiments and DNA analysis confirmed that it would eat the zoospore, the free-swimming stage of the fungus," said lead researcher Julia Buck, an OSU doctoral student in zoology.

The fungus B. dendrobatidis, dubbed a "chytrid" fungus, is responsible for a recently discovered disease of amphibians chytridiomycosis. It can disrupt electrolyte balance and lead to death from cardiac arrest in its amphibian hosts if it reaches high levels, an OSU release said Friday. However, OSU researchers found that Daphnia magna might make a meal of the troublesome fungus.

This breakthrough is welcome news, however another article points to an oddity. Why has Chytrid not impacted Asia yet?

Much of the natural environment in Asia seems conducive for Bd, so why has the continent so far been spared from the amphibian plague? The researchers have three hunches. The first, and most worrisome, is simply that Bd has not yet emerged in Asian environments. Analyzing the geographic distribution of the places where Bd did turn up, though, doesn’t point towards normal emerging disease patterns. On the other hand, Bd could be native to the Asian environment, meaning local amphibian species could have built up an evolutionary resistance to the normally devastating disease. Finally, it could be that Bd has tried to rear its head in Asia, but that some unknown factor in the nature is preventing the fungus from taking hold. Microbes on Asian amphibians’ skin, for example, could be saving their hosts from the disease.

Though things seem rosy for Asian amphibians, the lack of explanation is worrisome. The research team acknowledges that much more data are needed in order to fully assess and understand the Bd threat to amphibians in the Far East. Given the complexity of natural environments, small changes in temperature due to climate change, for example, could be enough to tip the scales in favor of Bd’s emergence onto the Asian amphibian scene. Following populations of Asian amphibians to see how Bd changes over time would be one way to elucidate the mystery. The scientists also propose analyzing the genetics of Bd strains found in different parts of the world to see if they differ in virulence.

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