SOUTHEASTERN PARTNERS IN AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CONSERVATION TASK TEAM: DISEASES, PATHOGENS, AND PARASITES 18 February 2012 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM CHAIRS:
Matthew Gray, University of Tennessee Debra Miller, University of Tennessee
MINUTES TAKEN BY: Jessica McGuire, University of Georgia TASK TEAM GOAL:
Our goal is to increase awareness of herpetofaunal pathogens and the occurrence of disease-related die-offs of herpetofauna in the Southeast. The Task Team has developed information sheets on common herpetofaunal pathogens, protocol for collecting and shipping diseased animals, and instructions on disinfecting field equipment. The Team is developing a public brochure on herpetofaunal pathogens and is developing an interactive disease reporting website (AKA the Ranavirus Reporting System). Future directions include organizing further workshops on amphibian pathogen surveillance and diseases.
AGENDA ITEMS: I.
Introductions. a. All members in attendance introduced themselves, spoke a bit about their research and their affiliation.
II.
Minutes from the 2011 Task Team meeting were distributed. a. The progress of past initiatives was discussed and new initiatives were developed.
III.
Updates on Outreach Education: a. A herpetofauna necropsy workshop was held in conjunction with the 2011 SEAFWA Meeting, in Nashville, TN, on 22 October. Dr. Miller arranged for Continuing Education Units/Credits to be awarded for biologists who participated in the workshop. The workshop was organized and lead by Drs. Miller, Gray and Duffus. b. 2 Draft Brochures were presented by Dr. Duffus for editing. i. Amphibian Diseases: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Ranaviruses ii. What to do if you find a disease and/or mortality event. iii. The brochures were edited by the group present. Dr. Duffus will compile, synthesize and apply the comments to updated version of the brochures. This will then be sent out to the rest of the task team for additional comments. iv. After the additional comments have been synthesized and applied, the brochure will be sent to a non-game/non-wildlife biologist for their input to ensure that the brochures are appropriate for the intended audience. c. Ranavirus Reporting System i. The creation of the reporting system is in its final phases. The website designers need to be contacted again. ii. Dr. Duffus will contact Dr. Dede Olson (US Forest Service) soon to initiate the meeting with the people at Imperial College, London who will be responsible for creating and hosting the website.
IV.
SEPARC Information Sheets (available at: www.separc.org) a. Completed in 2011 i. Viruses in American Alligators (Miller) ii. Ranaviruses in Chelonians (McGuire and Miller) iii. Mycoplasma in Alligators (McGuire) iv. Endocrine Disruptors in Amphibians (Calatayund) b. To Be Completed in 2012 i. Amphibiocystidium/Dermocystidium (Duffus) ii. Snake Paramyxoviruses (McGuire and Miller) iii. Ranaviruses in Squamates (Goodman) iv. Hellbender Declines (McGuire and Miller) v. Gopher Tortoise Ectoparasites (McGuire) vi. Basic Surveillance Design and Analysis (Gray, Green and Miller) vii. eDNA (Gray, Green and Miller) c. Information Sheets to be Updated in 2012 i. Mycoplasma in Chelonians (McGuire and Yabsley) ii. Ranaviruses (Duffus) iii. Bd (VonHandorf, Becker, and Brenes) iv. The contact information for Dr. Miller needs to be updated on most of the Information Sheets. v. The updated sheets will be marked as the second version and will replace the original version on the SEPARC website.
V.
Training Workshops and Conferences a. Herpetofauna Necropsy Workshops will continue to be offered at appropriate venues, and included this year’s SEPARC conference. Pending schedules, a workshop may be considered for the 2012 SEAFWA meeting in Arkansas 6-9 October. b. More outreach training with respect to what is to be done when comes across a disease/mortality event? i. In conjunction with state/regional herpetological societies? 1. Dr. Goodman will contact them to gauge interest. 2. Also a webinar or Youtube video? c. Second International Symposium on Ranaviruses i. To be held in 2013 in conjunction with the International WDA Annual Meeting, hosted by UT in Knoxville, TN. ii. Organized by the Global Ranavirus Consortium, which came out of the First International Symposium on Ranaviruses 1. Lead Contacts: Drs. Duffus, Gray and Miller
ACTION ITEMS (TO BE COMPLETED BY AUGUST 1, 2012) - Updated information sheets (McGuire, Duffus, VonHandorf) - New information sheets (McGuire, Gray, Green, Miller, Duffus, Goodman) - Brochures (Duffus) - Ranavirus Reporting Site (Duffus)
MEETING ATTENDEES: NAME
AFFILIATION
PHONE
EMAIL
Rachel Goodman Linda Green Christie Jackson Jessica McGuire Andrew VanHandorf Amanda Duffus Debra Miller Matthew Gray
Hampton-Sidney College Georgia Tech Gordon College University of Georgia Chattanooga Zoo Gordon College University of Tennessee University of Tennessee
434-223-6705 404-385-6517 678-409-0044 617-686-3012 859-640-7885 678-359-5464 865-974-7948 865-974-2740
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS NOT IN ATTENDANCE: NAME Matt Becker Carol Britson John Byrd Josh Cook Natalie Calatayud Cyndi Carter Janet Ertel Emilie Travis Kevin Hamed Joseph Pechmann Betsie Rothermel Bill Turner Michael Yabsley
AFFILIATION Virginia Tech University of Mississippi Anderson Co. Schools University of Georgia Mississippi State University University of Georgia U.S. Fish & Wildlife Archbold Biological Station University of Tennessee Western Carolina Univ. Archbold Biological St. Florida FWC University of Georgia
PHONE 443-983-5162 662-915-7988
662-341-5402 770-843-4136 870–282–8247 732-580-6677 276–739–2431 828–227–3661 863-465-2571 850-410-0656 706-542-1741
EMAIL
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]
