<story><title>An amphibian fungus has become “the most deadly pathogen known”</title><url>https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/science/frogs-fungus-bd.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>vichu</author><text>Just thinking about how much work and research from organizations like the CDC put in to preventing another Spanish flu-like pandemic for humans, it seems shockingly obvious that pandemics would be occurring for other species where technology and quarantine are not as strictly used. Its only through observations like this that I&amp;#x27;ve realized how devastating the impact of contaminated ecosystems must be. I suppose that&amp;#x27;s why I&amp;#x27;ve needed to check all those boxes about visiting farms&amp;#x2F;smuggling produce whenever I go through customs.&lt;p&gt;Since this article is specifically about frogs, I can&amp;#x27;t help but wonder if the drastic reduction of insect biomass isn&amp;#x27;t contributing to their decline. With numbers as drastic as a 75% decline in certain areas[0], it&amp;#x27;s hard to imagine frogs&amp;#x2F;birds&amp;#x2F;etc. aren&amp;#x27;t suffering from population decline due to reduced food availability.&lt;p&gt;[0] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.scientificamerican.com&amp;#x2F;article&amp;#x2F;as-insect-populations-decline-scientists-are-trying-to-understand-why&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.scientificamerican.com&amp;#x2F;article&amp;#x2F;as-insect-populat...&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>Ultimatt</author><text>Its worse than a pandemic because its across so many species simultaneously. Imagine if a flesh eating fungus was killing all mammals around you. What would be the human response to this? It would be a lot stronger than quarantine.&lt;p&gt;We would immediately slaughter all mammal pets. All rodents would be fumegated from cities whilst everyone wears gas masks in the streets. With children going to school in tented buildings.&lt;p&gt;Consider this has been going on for decades because real immunity is low, just resistance is better with some species. We would have whole generations maimed from amputations to save their life.&lt;p&gt;If this was something that affected us more directly it would be the bleakest existence you could imagine.</text></comment>
<story><title>An amphibian fungus has become “the most deadly pathogen known”</title><url>https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/science/frogs-fungus-bd.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>vichu</author><text>Just thinking about how much work and research from organizations like the CDC put in to preventing another Spanish flu-like pandemic for humans, it seems shockingly obvious that pandemics would be occurring for other species where technology and quarantine are not as strictly used. Its only through observations like this that I&amp;#x27;ve realized how devastating the impact of contaminated ecosystems must be. I suppose that&amp;#x27;s why I&amp;#x27;ve needed to check all those boxes about visiting farms&amp;#x2F;smuggling produce whenever I go through customs.&lt;p&gt;Since this article is specifically about frogs, I can&amp;#x27;t help but wonder if the drastic reduction of insect biomass isn&amp;#x27;t contributing to their decline. With numbers as drastic as a 75% decline in certain areas[0], it&amp;#x27;s hard to imagine frogs&amp;#x2F;birds&amp;#x2F;etc. aren&amp;#x27;t suffering from population decline due to reduced food availability.&lt;p&gt;[0] &lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.scientificamerican.com&amp;#x2F;article&amp;#x2F;as-insect-populations-decline-scientists-are-trying-to-understand-why&amp;#x2F;&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.scientificamerican.com&amp;#x2F;article&amp;#x2F;as-insect-populat...&lt;/a&gt;</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>ImaCake</author><text>This is a lesson learnt in Australia and even more so in New Zealand. Quarantine upon entry is strict. I returned to Australia from New Zealand with dirty hiking boots and they washed them before letting me carry them through. Not declaring or disposing of plant or animal matter is subject to massive fines.</text></comment>