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Background Rescuing amphibian diversity is an achievable conservation challenge. Disease mitigation is one essential component of population management. Here we assess existing disease mitigation strategies, some in early experimental stages, which focus on the globally emerging chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis . We discuss the precedent for each strategy in systems ranging from agriculture to human medicine, and the outlook for each strategy in terms of research needs and long-term potential. Results We find that the effects of exposure to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis occur on a spectrum from transient commensal to lethal pathogen. Management priorities are divided between (1) halting pathogen spread and developing survival assurance colonies, and (2) prophylactic or remedial disease treatment. Epidemiological models of chytridiomycosis suggest that mitigation strategies can control disease without eliminating the pathogen. Ecological ethics guide wildlife disease research, but several ethical questions remain for managing disease in the field. Conclusions Because sustainable conservation of amphibians in nature is dependent on long-term population persistence and co-evolution with potentially lethal pathogens, we suggest that disease mitigation not focus exclusively on the elimination or containment of the pathogen, or on the captive breeding of amphibian hosts. Rather, successful disease mitigation must be context specific with epidemiologically informed strategies to manage already infected populations by decreasing pathogenicity and host susceptibility. We propose population level treatments based on three steps: first, identify mechanisms of disease suppression; second, parameterize epizootiological models of disease and population dynamics for testing under semi-natural conditions; and third, begin a process of adaptive management in field trials with natural populations.

All vertebrates except cold-water ice fish transport oxygen via hemoglobin packaged in red blood cells (RBCs). Vertebrate RBCs vary in size by thirtyfold. Differences in RBC size have been known for over a century, but the functional significance of RBC size remains unknown. One hypothesis is that large RBCs are a primitive character. Agnathans have larger RBCs than do mammals. However, the largest RBCs are found in urodele amphibians which is inconsistent with the hypothesis that large RBCs are primitive. Another possibility is that small RBCs increase blood oxygen transport capacity. Blood hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) and mean RBC hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) increase from Agnatha to birds and mammals. However, the changes in [Hb] and MCHC do not parallel changes in RBC size. In addition, RBC size does not affect blood viscosity. Thus, there is no clear link between RBC size and oxygen transport capacity. We hypothesize that RBC size attends changes in capillary diameter. This hypothesis is based on the following observations. First, RBC width averages 25% larger than capillary diameter which insures cell deformation during capillary flow. Functionally, RBC deformation minimizes diffusion limitations to gas exchange. Second, smaller capillaries are associated with increased potential for diffusive gas exchange. However, smaller capillaries result in higher resistances to blood flow which requires higher blood pressures. We propose that the large capillary diameters and large RBCs in urodeles reflect the evolutionary development of a pulmonary vascular supply. The large capillaries reduced systemic vascular resistances enabling a single ventricular heart to supply blood to two vascular circuits, systemic and pulmonary, without developing high pressures on the pulmonary side. The large RBCs preserved diffusive gas exchange efficiency in the large capillaries.