Barbora Thumsová
UN SDGs
20px;">Origin and emergence of ranavirosis in two highly endangered species in SpainFaculty o Science
Asociació Herpetológica Espa?ola
Emerging diseases pose a serious threat to amphibia populations worldwide. Mountain amphibians are particularly vulnerable due to their isolation, exposure to extreme conditions, and the effects of climate change. Over the past two decades, viruses of the Ranavirus genus (Rv) have caused mas mortality and population declines in protected area across Europe. However, their origin, patterns of emergence, and long-term consequences for vulnerabl amphibian populations remain poorly understood. This project will investigate the emergence and spread of Rv in two Spanish national parks, Ordesa y Monte Perdido and Sierra de Guadarrama, where recent outbreaks have affected two threatened amphibian endemics of Iberia and the Pyrenees: Rana iberica and Rana pyrenaica. These species show signs of increasing Rv prevalence; however, basic data on their population size, disease history, and epidemiology are lacking. This project combines field monitoring with molecular diagnostics, whole- genome sequencing, and laboratory experiments to address these gaps. Samples of amphibians and fish from the field and museum collections will be analyzed to reconstruct the timeline of Rv emergence and to assess the role of introduced salmonids in its spread. Population size will be estimated using mark–recapture models, and infectio patterns will be analyzed across time, species, and environments. A temperature-controlled experiment will test how thermal shifts affect infection and mortality. The goal is to identify conditions that reduce disease risk in wild and captive settings. In collaboration with the Spanish Herpetological Society, the results will be translated into monitoring protocols, mitigation strategies, and policy guidance to support the conservation of thes threatened amphibians and improve the response to emerging wildlife diseases. ****************************************************************************************** * Meet the Project ****************************************************************************************** If you had to explain your project to someone outside your field, how would you describe i sentences? My project studies a virus that is increasingly affecting amphibians in mountain areas of severe population declines. I aim to understand where this virus comes from, why some spec are more affected than others and how climate change contributes to these differences. Ult is to identify practical ways to reduce its impact and help protect threatened amphibian p What fascinates you most about the topic of your research project? Working on amphibian diseases means dealing with a problem that is both scientifically cha emotionally demanding. It often involves directly witnessing repeated mortality events and declines, which can be discouraging. At the same time, this close contact with the problem the work meaning. Careful observation and data collection can, over time, be translated into knowledge that decisions by managers and conservation practitioners, even when disease mitigation in the difficult. My commitment to this topic stems from a strong sense of responsibility toward from working with people who, despite the difficulties, remain dedicated to preventing bio How does your research contribute specifically to achieving the UN Sustainable Development The project contributes directly to UN Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land) by a of a major and sometimes overlooked driver of biodiversity loss: wildlife disease. By focu threatened amphibian species protected by national and European legislation, the project p that can be directly used to improve conservation and management actions in protected area Beyond academia, the project supports evidence-based decision-making for park managers and authorities, helping them adapt monitoring, captive-rearing, and mitigation strategies und change. By improving our ability to anticipate and reduce disease-driven population collap contributes to the persistence of vulnerable species and healthier freshwater ecosystems, essential for biodiversity and human well-being.
N.B. Funded by the European Union. Views and o are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the Europe European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority responsible for them.