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Vol. 78: 87–95, 2007 DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS Published December 13 doi: 10.3354/dao01861 Dis Aquat Org Survey for the amphibian chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Hong Kong in native amphibians and in the international amphibian trade Jodi J. L. Rowley1, 5,*, Simon Kin Fung Chan2, Wing Sze Tang2, Richard Speare3, Lee F. Skerratt 4, Ross A. Alford1, Ka Shing Cheung 2, Ching Yee Ho2, Ruth Campbell4 1School of Marine and Tropical Biology and Amphibian Disease Ecology Group, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4811 2Herpetofauna Working Group, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 7/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China 3School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Amphibian Disease Ecology Group, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4811 4School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and Amphibian Disease Ecology Group, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4811 5Present address: Conservation International Indo-Burma, PO Box 1356, Phnom Penh, Cambodia ABSTRACT: Chytridiomycosis, caused by the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, is respon- sible for many amphibian declines and has been identified in wild amphibian populations on all con- tinents where they exist, except for Asia. In order to assess whether B. dendrobatidis is present on the native amphibians of Hong Kong, we sampled wild populations of Amolops hongkongensis, Paa exil- ispinosa, P. spinosa and Rana chloronota during 2005–2006. Amphibians infected with B. dendro- batidis have been found in the international trade, so we also examined the extent and nature of the amphibian trade in Hong Kong during 2005–2006, and assessed whether B.
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