"The Mystery Behind the Decline of Apparently Healthy Amphibians Unveiled"

At the first global congress of herpetology in 1989, experts discovered a mysterious decline in amphibian populations worldwide. Dr. Andrew Cunningham, a veterinary pathologist, identified a deadly ranavirus in England and later uncovered a lethal fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, infecting and killing amphibians globally. This fungus, likely spread by humans, has led to the disappearance of nearly 100 amphibian species in the past 50 years, highlighting the destructive impact of humanity on biodiversity and the urgent need to find a balance with the planet's species.