Christopher T Cornelison*, Blake Cherney, Kyle T Gabriel, Courtney K Barlament and Sidney A Crow Jr
Snake fungal disease (SFD), caused by the ascomycete Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, has been associated with severe morbidity and mortality of numerous species of wild snakes in 15 US states. Accordingly, SFD was added to the horizon scan of global conservation issues in 2014. Due to the itinerant and secluded nature of many snake species, as well as the diversity of species impacted by SFD, estimating SFD-associated mortalities has been challenging. Regardless, the impacts have been shown to be significant in local and regional instances. Currently there is no known therapeutic or prophylactic for SFD. This study evaluated a potential biological treatment option for SFD that has shown promise in managing white-nose syndrome in bats, the bacterium Rhodococcus rhodochrous DAP 96253. R. rhodochrous was evaluated for in vitro contact-independent antagonism of O. ophiodiicola, with positive results. Additionally, synthetic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with fungistatic soils were evaluated individually and in combinations to determine their potential for use as chemical control agents of SFD. In all cases an inhibitory effect was observed and statistically significant (p<0.05) radial growth inhibition was observed in several cases. The results presented in this study provide initial evidence for the in vivo evaluation of the potential of these agents to prevent or reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with SFD.
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