Treatment of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis in Eastern Hellbenders with Terbinafine

Presentation from Daniella Guzman
The Wilds, BS, MS, Steven Spear, PhD, and Priscilla H. Joyner, BVMS, DACZM- The Wilds.

Two wild-caught, adult female Eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) were examined and swabbed individually for chytrid testing via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Both females were positive for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Infection was subclinical, as both hellbenders had no abnormal findings on physical exam. A course of terbinafine hydrochloride
(HCL) in alcohol (LamisilAT® Spray) given topically via treatment baths, was initiated once daily, over five days, five minutes per session. Both animals were individually retested one week, three weeks and one-month post treatment using PCR. All post treatment samples were negative for Bd in both females. These cases represent the first successful treatment with terbinafine HCL in alcohol to eliminate chytrid infection in Eastern hellbenders. This case underlines the importance of routine and pre-shipment testing for chytridiomycosis in amphibians being transferred to different facilities as a means to minimize risk of disease introduction via a carrier species into a new collection.