Chytrid fungal disease has caused the largest documented vertebrate extinction crisis in history, decimating amphibian populations globally and requiring urgent conservation intervention.
Individual amphibians infected with chytrid fungi experience a degradation of skin function that is essential for gas exchange and osmoregulation in permeable-skinned species. The disease causes lethargy, abnormal posture, and cardiovascular collapse. The welfare of wild amphibians during mass mortality events is difficult to assess but likely involves significant suffering in affected individuals. Conservation breeding programs provide welfare-positive environments for assurance populations while wild disease dynamics are addressed through biosecurity and habitat management.