Pet Trade Spreads Exotic Diseases

Posted by Dawn M. Smith Mar 30, 2008

Climate change had been implicated in the development and spread of chytrid fungal disease in frogs. But the latest evidence shows that movement of animals (and plants) is likely a key culprit in the increasingly rapid spread of this deadly disease. Focusing on only one threat to the environment exposes us to the risk of failing to deal with other issues critical to the survival of the planet.

Climate change is a huge environmental buzzword right now. We know that air and sea surface temperatures are increasing. What we don’t know is how much of that increase is manmade and how much is cyclic. But we do know that there are other things that man is doing that are having significant effects on the environment. And some are easier to control.

The chytrid fungus that is affecting frog populations around the world is being spread by human activity. The fungus was introduced to South America in the late 1970s. It has been spreading northward ever since. But the pet trade has helped it to skip all the way into the central United States. And at present there is no known way to stop its spread in the wild.

This one should be simple. With climate change we must make choices around our need for warmth and food. But no one needs an exotic pet frog. No one needs to bring plants and animals into new areas, with their exotic diseases tagging along and affecting local wildlife. Its time to think twice about the implications of introduced species before you buy a plant or animal that belongs somewhere far away.